Nottingham Forest Owner Banned for Misconduct
Evangelos Marinakis, the owner of Nottingham Forest, has been handed a five-match ban following an incident in which he allegedly spat on the floor as match officials passed by him after the team’s 1-0 defeat to Fulham last month. The ban was confirmed last week after an independent regulatory commission conducted an investigation into Marinakis, prompted by a Football Association (FA) charge of misconduct.
The findings of the commission, which have now been made public, include testimonies from the involved parties. Referee Josh Smith, assistant referee James Mainwaring, and fourth official Tim Robinson all reported that Marinakis spat on the ground in close proximity to them as they walked towards their changing room in the tunnel.
Marinakis, however, contends that he did not spit at the officials. He claims he merely felt a cough coming on and coughed onto the floor, directing it away from the officials’ path. His statement further reveals that he smokes two to three cigars a day and often needs to expectorate or cough, which can sometimes result in phlegm being expelled onto the floor. On the day of the incident, he asserts he was suffering from a severe cough and was consuming lozenges to alleviate his symptoms.
The match officials firmly rejected Marinakis’ account of the events when questioned. They maintained that he had indeed spat, rather than coughed. The independent commission echoed this sentiment, stating: “We unhesitatingly reject Mr. Marinakis’ account that he spat or expectorated as a result of a cough.” They concluded that he deliberately spat on the floor as the referee was passing by, describing his behavior as a “disrespectful and disgusting display of contempt towards the match officials.”
The commission determined that Marinakis’ actions clearly constituted misconduct under Rule E3. Furthermore, they noted that his position as the owner of a football club exacerbated the situation, deeming his conduct entirely unacceptable and warranting a substantial penalty. They also viewed his implausible explanation as an aggravating factor in their decision.
As it stands, Marinakis has already completed one match of his ban after Nottingham Forest secured a 1-0 victory against Crystal Palace at the City Ground on Monday. The Greek businessman will be unable to attend the upcoming matches against Leicester City, West Ham United, Newcastle United, and Arsenal. In a related note, head coach Nuno Espirito Santo is also serving a separate FA ban, having two more matches remaining on his suspension.
(Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)
