Premier League owner with alleged links to criminal organisation faces trial

Nottingham Forest have been on a historic run this season, storming to third place in the Premier League and making it through to the FA Cup semi-final later this month.

But while this has been a dream campaign for Forest fans, team owner Vangelis Marinakis may have other things on his mind. Marinakis is also the owner of Olympiacos and he’s been charged by Greek authorities over alleged ties to criminal organisations.

The billionaire is one of four Olympiacos board members set to go on trial as part of an investigation into violence in sport, centring around the death of a police officer in Greece who was killed during a riot outside a volleyball match between Olympiacos and rivals Panathinaikos in December 2023.

Judges accused Marinakis and other Panathinaikos officials of providing “all types of assets and financial means, knowing that by doing so they were facilitating or assisting in the commission of criminal activities by a criminal organization.” Marinakis and the other four defendants have denied the ”misdemeanor” charges of “inciting sports-related violence and supporting a criminal organisation”.

The 57-year-old could face up to a year in prison if found guilty and his ownership of Forest would be at severe risk. The Premier League’s Owners’ and Directors’ Test (OADT) can disqualify individuals found guilt of serious crimes involving violence.

In response, Marinakis has released a strongly-worded statement in which he denies any wrongdoing: “This is a coordinated effort to silence me, but a hopeless one. It is not, after all, the first time that such an attempt has been made. Political and economic interests have unsuccessfully tried the same thing in the past through fabricated cases and accusations that fell with a bang.

“The obvious target is me and Olympiacos. But what they really seek is to harm Freedom of the Press, the independence of the media and ultimately Democracy itself.

“The message I am sending is one and clear: I am not afraid, I am not blackmailed, I am not negotiating, I am not giving in, I am not surrendering. The truth will shine again. Democracy will prevail. In the end, we will (as always) be victorious.”

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