Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has filed a defamation lawsuit against Premier League club Crystal Palace. The claim, lodged at the High Court on Monday, stems from a controversial banner displayed by Crystal Palace fans during a 1-1 draw between the two clubs last August.
The banner depicted Marinakis holding a gun to the head of Forest player Morgan Gibbs-White and included the text, ‘Mr Marinakis is not involved in blackmail, match-fixing, drug trafficking or corruption.’ Marinakis has consistently denied any wrongdoing related to such allegations.
Crystal Palace was charged by the Football Association in November. While the banner was not explicitly cited as the reason for the charge, Premier League rules prohibit messages containing defamatory, political, or offensive slogans.
Tensions between Forest and Palace have been heightened since last year, when Palace was demoted from the Europa League to the Europa Conference League due to UEFA’s multi-club ownership regulations. Nottingham Forest benefited from this decision and was subsequently promoted into the Europa League.
The banner appeared while this dispute was still a significant point of contention between the clubs. Oliver Glasner, who previously managed Palace before departing at the end of last season, was subsequently hired by Forest on a three-year contract.
A defamation specialist noted that the court will first need to determine how a reasonable reader would interpret the allegations on the banner, including the image of a gun aimed at a player's head, and whether those allegations are defamatory. The legal proceedings may also address the novel issue of whether a club can be held liable for actions taken by its fans, rather than by the club itself.
Crystal Palace has declined to comment on the lawsuit. The clubs are scheduled to play each other in the Premier League on October 10.