Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has reportedly filed a defamation lawsuit against Crystal Palace over a controversial banner displayed by the club’s supporters during a Premier League match between the two sides last year.
The legal action relates to an incident at Selhurst Park on August 24, 2025, when Palace fans displayed a large banner targeting Marinakis during a 1-1 draw with Forest.
The banner portrayed the Greek businessman holding what appeared to be a gun to the head of Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White.
The display came amid growing tension between the two clubs following Crystal Palace’s removal from the 2025/26 Europa League.
Palace had qualified for the competition after winning the FA Cup, but UEFA ruled that the club could not participate because of its ownership links with French side Lyon. Nottingham Forest subsequently took Palace’s place in the Europa League.
Palace supporters blamed Marinakis for his involvement in the dispute, with the banner containing references to serious allegations against the Forest owner. Marinakis has denied wrongdoing in relation to those allegations.
The Football Association (FA) subsequently investigated the incident and charged Crystal Palace over the banner. In February 2026, Palace were fined £50,000 after an independent panel found that the banner was objectively offensive and breached FA regulations.
The panel, however, considered the breach to be relatively minor and concluded that the club had been negligent rather than seriously at fault.
The latest legal move now takes the dispute beyond football disciplinary proceedings and into the courts.
Marinakis, who has owned Nottingham Forest since 2017, has become an influential figure in English football as the club has established itself in the Premier League and secured European football.
The lawsuit is expected to focus on whether the material displayed by Palace supporters was defamatory and whether the club can be held legally responsible for its publication.
