Overview
- Evangelos Marinakis lodged a defamation claim at the High Court on August 10, 2026, naming CPFC Limited and “Persons Unknown” as defendants and seeking civil redress for reputational harm.
- The disputed banner was unfurled at Selhurst Park during the Crystal Palace v Nottingham Forest match on 24 August 2025 and showed Marinakis holding a gun to Morgan Gibbs‑White’s head alongside unproven allegations of match‑fixing and other crimes.
- The Football Association charged Crystal Palace over crowd behaviour in November 2025 and fined the club £50,000 in early 2026 for failing to control supporters and for having a known risk of banned banners.
- Marinakis says the FA penalty did not address the global damage he alleges, while legal commentators note UK defamation law sets a high bar for proving harm and that sarcastic or public statements can be harder to challenge.
- The case will test how far clubs must police what fans display in stadiums and could affect club policies, stewarding practice, and how high‑profile owners defend their reputations after regulatory and UEFA disputes between the two clubs.