Forest owner Marinakis accused of match-fixing in Greece amidst ongoing legal battle in the UK

In 2024, Marinakis initiated a libel case against Irini Karipidis, who serves as the chair of the Greek Super League club Aris Thessaloniki, along with other individuals at London's High Court.

He alleges Karipidis was behind a website containing allegations that Marinakis was involved in match fixing, drug smuggling and shipping Russian oil in breach of sanctions, which he strongly denies.

Marinakis’ lawyers say the campaign involved driving a mobile billboard around Forest’s City Ground stadium before two matches in 2023, directing people to the website.

Karipidis, however, says she has “a clear defence of truth” to the libel lawsuit.

Her lawyer Matthew Hodson said in court documents that Marinakis had started a campaign against Karipidis after her brother Theodoros refused to fix a game between Aris and Olympiakos, which is owned by Marinakis, in 2023.

Hodson said in the document that during the game, which finished 2-2, Marinakis “became so angry that according to (Karipidis) he threatened that Theodoros ‘would not leave the field alive’ if Olympiakos lost”.

Marinakis’ lawyer David Sherborne said in court documents that the allegation had been made in open court simply to generate adverse publicity.

He argued Karipidis’ application to revoke permission to serve the case on her was “a transparent attempt to further their campaign” against Marinakis.

Ari Harow, a former aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyah, is also a defendant, with Marinakis alleging Harow facilitated payments to support the alleged smear campaign.

His lawyer Ali Sinai said in court documents that the case against Harow should also be thrown out.

Separately, Marinakis had also made the headlines last week.

He was given a five-match stadium ban for spitting on the floor as match officials walked past in the tunnel after Forest’s 1-0 loss at home to Fulham on Sept 28.

The BBC reported that Marinakis was found guilty of improper conduct, with an independent regulatory commission saying there was “no excuse” for such an “an egregious display of disrespectful behaviour” that could “fuel disrespect towards match officials”.

On the pitch, though, Forest have been doing well under Nuno Espirito Santo, who helped the club avoid relegation in the 2023-24 Premier League season.

After nine games this season, they are seventh on 16 points, just one behind sixth-placed Chelsea.