The chairman of Olympiakos, Evangelos Marinakis, alongside four board members, is set to face trial on misdemeanour charges as part of an investigation into incidents of sports-related violence, as revealed by legal sources on Thursday following a ruling from a Greek judicial council.
Marinakis, a prominent shipping and media mogul who also owns English Premier League side Nottingham Forest, and his fellow board members have firmly denied any allegations against them, including claims of affiliation with a criminal organisation associated with Olympiakos supporters.
“The allegation is entirely unfounded,” stated Marinakis’ lawyer, Vassilis Dimakopoulos, in comments to Reuters. A date for the trial has not yet been confirmed.
The investigation was initiated after a police officer was tragically killed by a flare during confrontations with Olympiakos fans outside a volleyball match in December 2023. A separate trial is currently in progress regarding this incident.
The volleyball fixture in question was contested between Olympiakos and Panathinaikos.
The judicial council has also ruled that over 140 individuals, the majority of whom are Olympiakos fans detained since April, will face charges relating to their alleged involvement in a criminal organisation. This decision comes on the heels of a magistrate’s inquiry.
The legal representatives of these individuals assert their clients have contested the charges, a claim echoed by the Olympiakos football club.
In recent years, sport in Greece has been plagued by violent occurrences both on the pitch and off it, prompting authorities to vow an end to hooliganism.
Marinakis has accused the conservative government of manipulating media and judicial processes to safeguard its reputation. In a statement released on Olympiakos’s official website on Thursday, he asserted that the true aim is to undermine press freedom, democracy, and his own media enterprise.
“This is a coordinated, yet desperate, attempt to silence me,” he declared.
A government spokesperson countered that all citizens are treated equally under the law, which operates independently.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
Fanpage: SportArena.com.au.
LiveScore – Live Sports Results & Odds.
