Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has launched a High Court lawsuit against Crystal Palace over a banner displayed by supporters during a Premier League match between the clubs.
The Greek businessman has filed a defamation claim against Crystal Palace and “Persons Unknown” following an incident at Selhurst Park on 24 August 2025.
The banner depicted Marinakis holding a gun to the head of Forest captain Morgan Gibbs-White, referencing the midfielder’s dramatic transfer U-turn during last summer’s window.
The legal move comes almost a year after the image was displayed and follows action already taken by the Football Association.
In November, the FA charged Crystal Palace with failing to ensure supporters did not behave in an “improper, offensive, abusive, insulting and/or provocative way” during the fixture.
The dispute unfolded against the backdrop of growing tensions between the two clubs over European qualification.
Palace had originally secured a Europa League spot by winning the FA Cup in the 2024/25 season. However, the South London club were later removed from the competition after being found to have breached rules relating to third-party ownership.
Forest subsequently took Palace’s place in the Europa League.
Despite the setback, Palace went on to compete in the Europa Conference League, where they lifted the trophy to claim the first European title in the club’s history and earn a route back into the Europa League this season.
There was another dramatic twist at the end of the campaign when Palace manager Oliver Glasner departed the club. The Austrian has since taken over at Nottingham Forest, where he now works under Marinakis.
The High Court case is the latest chapter in a rivalry that has become increasingly bitter both on and off the pitch.
