Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has initiated a defamation lawsuit against Crystal Palace Football Club, related to a banner displayed by their supporters during a Premier League match. The banner, unfurled last August at Selhurst Park during a 1-1 draw between the two teams, depicted Marinakis holding a gun to the head of Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White.
Marinakis' legal team filed the defamation claim in the High Court on Monday, naming CPFC Limited as one of the defendants. The banner in question contained the text: "Mr Marinakis is not involved in blackmail, match-fixing, drug trafficking or corruption." Marinakis has consistently denied any involvement in such allegations.
In November, the Football Association had charged Crystal Palace with failing to ensure their supporters did not engage in improper, offensive, abusive, or provocative behavior. While the FA charge did not specifically name the banner, football regulations impose strict rules against messages containing defamatory, political, or offensive slogans.
Gibbs-White, an England international, was reportedly close to leaving Forest last summer when Tottenham Hotspur appeared to meet his £60 million release clause. However, he subsequently signed a new contract with Forest and publicly discussed his decision alongside Marinakis.
Forest, owned by Marinakis, had secured a place in the Europa League the previous season, replacing Crystal Palace after the south London club was relegated to the Conference League due to breaches of UEFA's multi-club ownership rules.
BBC Sport has reached out to both Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest for comment.