Marinakis sues Crystal Palace over gun banner controversy

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has filed a defamation lawsuit against Crystal Palace after a banner displayed at Selhurst Park depicted him holding a gun to the head of Morgan Gibbs-White, the Forest midfielder.

Defamation claim filed at the High Court

Lawyers for the Greek shipping magnate submitted the claim at the High Court on Monday, targeting CPFC Limited – the commercial arm of Crystal Palace – and “Persons Unknown”. The filing was reported by Keith Senior Sports Reporter21:19 on 10 Aug 2026, noting the involvement of the High Court and the Greek owner.

FA misconduct charge and fine

Crystal Palace were previously charged by the FA with misconduct in November over the same banner, accused of allowing supporters to behave in an improper, offensive, abusive or provocative way. In February the FA fined Palace £50,000, highlighting that the club had a policy to prevent banners being smuggled into the stadium, which demonstrated awareness of the risk.

Background to the banner controversy

The banner was unfurled by Palace supporters during the 1-1 draw between the two clubs at Selhurst Park on August 24 in the Premier League. It read: “Mr Marinakis is not involved in blackmail, match-fixing, drug trafficking or corruption.” ImagesEvangelos shows the banner; the original photograph was credited to Nicolas Koutsokostas/Getty Images.

Marinakis has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has never been charged with the offences listed on the banner. Palace refused to comment when approached, and Forest did not respond to inquiries.

The incident followed a period of heightened tension after Forest retained star midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White despite interest from Tottenham, who had triggered his £60 million release clause before he signed a new contract with Forest. Gibbs-White later gave a video interview alongside Marinakis, saying, “I’ve felt at home at Forest from the moment I arrived… I believe in what we’re building here.”

Marinakis added, “There was significant interest from various clubs, but we were determined to build our future with Morgan at the heart of it. Today is another big step in that journey.” The dispute also reflects broader friction after Palace lost their Europa League place, were ejected by UEFA for third‑party ownership breaches, and saw Oliver Glasner depart to become Forest’s manager under Marinakis.