Forest owner Marinakis sues Palace over gun banner

Evangelos Marinakis, the owner of Nottingham Forest, has filed a defamation lawsuit against Crystal Palace. The legal action stems from a banner displayed by Palace fans during a Premier League match last August at Selhurst Park. The banner depicted Marinakis holding a gun to the head of Crystal Palace midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White. The message on the banner read: "Mr Marinakis is not involved in blackmail, match-fixing, drug trafficking or corruption."

Marinakis' legal team has lodged the case in the High Court, naming Crystal Palace Football Club Limited as one of the two defendants. The banner, while not explicitly named in the FA's charges, falls under the category of offensive and defamatory messaging. The Football Association had previously charged Crystal Palace for failing to prevent supporters from engaging in improper, offensive, abusive, or provocative behavior during a match.

Morgan Gibbs-White, a former Crystal Palace player now at Nottingham Forest, nearly left Forest for Tottenham in the summer but signed a new contract with the Nottingham side. The incident has reignited discussions about player loyalty and the pressures faced by sports personalities. Marinakis, who owns Nottingham Forest, had previously secured the club's place in the Europa League last season, replacing Crystal Palace after the latter's relegation to the Conference League due to Uefa's multi-club ownership rules.