Nottingham Forest: Evangelos Marinakis withdraws control of club but will remain as owner

Wednesday, 30 April 2025 20:18

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has removed himself from control of the club by officially withdrawing his position at Companies House.

The Greek billionaire still owns Forest, but he has put all of his club shares into a blind trust so that he no longer has control or influence over the day-to-day running of the club.

Sky Sports News has been told this could be a temporary measure because of a possible conflict of interest with another club in Marinakis' stable, Olympiakos.

Transfer Centre LIVE! | Nottingham Forest news & transfers?⚪
Forest fixtures & scores | FREE Forest PL highlights▶️
Got Sky? Watch Nottingham Forest games LIVE on your phone?
Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW ?
Choose the Sky Sports push notifications you want! ?

UEFA rules dictate that no individual is allowed to control two clubs that are competing in the same competition, and Forest and Olympiakos are both pushing for places in next season's Champions League.

Olympiakos are 13 points clear at the top of the Greek Super League, while Forest would go third in the Premier League if they win their game in hand against Brentford on Thursday, live on Sky.

The changes have been described by one source as technicality, a bit of important "housekeeping" but UEFA take it much more seriously than that.

For them, this is about the integrity of their competition, and their rules do not allow for two clubs owned by the same person or persons to compete against each other in the same European competition.

If UEFA suspected Marinakis was still in effective control of Nottingham Forest, they would be forced under their rules to bar Forest from taking part in the Champions League next season - should they qualify.

UEFA's rules say that in this situation where there is a conflict of interest, whichever club finishes higher in their domestic league would be allowed to compete, with the other club barred. Olympiacos are currently 13 points clear at the top of the Greek Super League while Forest are sixth - with a chance to go third if they win their game in hand.

Marinakis has never been on the Forest board.

But there have been changes in the make-up of Forest's board as a result of this issue. Three board members have been forced to resign and have been replaced by the three trustees who are now in charge of Marinakis' shares. Financial rules around blind trusts dictate that those trustees have to make up the majority of a club's board for it to be in line with the rules.

'Marinakis is still very much Forest owner'

Sky Sports News' senior reporter Rob Dorsett:

"It's huge news that the man who has become the talisman and symbol of Nottingham Forest since he bought the club and has seen it grow and grow to a position of power in the Premier League, is no longer in control of the club.

"UEFA set a deadline for the end of April that every club that is potentially in their competition complies with those rules. That's why Forest have had to make this decision. They've known about it for quite a while but it's very significant.

"Evangelos Marinakis was never on the board but there have been three new people appointed - they're the trustees of this blind trust that has control of his shares.

"Three people have had to resign from the board because UEFA and Companies House rules say anybody who is a trustee have to be in the majority of any club board. It is a bit complicated.

"Marinakis is still very much the Nottingham Forest owner. He's not walking away or withdrawing his interest, but he no longer has day-to-day control of the club.

"If Forest don't make the Champions League, they could reverse this decision. There's no requirement for this blind trust if Forest don't qualify for the Champions League."