Ola Aina’s Nottingham Forest chief to face trial on sports violence charges

By Monsurah Olatunji

Nottingham Forest and Olympiacos owner Evangelos Marinakis is set to face trial on misdemeanor charges related to sports violence following a ruling by a Greek judicial council.

The charges stem from an incident that occurred outside a volleyball match between Olympiacos and Panathinaikos in December 2023, where a riot police officer was fatally injured during clashes with Olympiacos fans.

Marinakis, who acquired Nottingham Forest in 2017, has strongly denied the charges and accused Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his media allies of attempting to blackmail him.

Marinakis also owns the Alter Ego Media group, and in a statement issued on Olympiacos’ official website, he criticized the Greek government and media for what he described as a coordinated effort to undermine his independence.

The charges come as part of an investigation initiated by Greek authorities after the violent incident in December, which followed a 2-2 draw between Olympiacos and Volos.

Marinakis, along with Olympiacos vice-president Giannis Moralis, CEO Dimitris Agrafiotis, vice-presidents Kostas Karapapas and Michalis Kountouris, and several supporters, is facing trial, according to Greek newspaper Kathimerini.

In his statement, Marinakis vehemently protested his innocence, calling the case a political and financial plot to silence him and his media group.

“A panic-stricken Prime Minister and the scandalously favoured media cronies who depend on the Mitsotakis system for their survival are trying to blackmail me and compromise my independence,” Marinakis wrote.

“Their efforts constitute a coordinated attempt to gag me, but one that has no chance of success.”

Marinakis further vowed to stand firm against the charges, asserting, “I am not afraid, I will not be blackmailed, I will not negotiate, I will not back down, I will not submit. The truth will come out. Democracy will prevail. Ultimately, we will prevail (as we always do).”

The outcome of the trial is set to have significant implications not only for Marinakis but also for both Olympiacos and Nottingham Forest, where he remains an influential figure.

Despite the ongoing legal challenges, Marinakis continues to oversee the management of Forest, who signed players like Taiwo Awoniyi in 2022 and Ola Aina in the summer of 2023 under his ownership.