Nottingham Forest and Olympiacos owner Evangelos Marinakis has gone on trial in Athens, facing accusations of instigating football violence and supporting a criminal organisation.
The 58-year-old and four other Olympiacos board members face misdemeanour charges for allegedly instigating violence against authorities and supporting a criminal group between 2019 and 2024.
All have strenuously denied the accusations, with Marinakis’ lawyer calling them “totally baseless.”
The charges are linked to the fatal injury of 31-year-old riot police officer George Lyngeridis in 2023, who was hit by a flare during clashes outside an Olympiacos-Panathinaikos volleyball match and later died.
In the same trial, 142 fans face serious charges, including being members of a criminal organisation.
Due to the size of the case (over 140 defendants and 220 witnesses), the trial is being held in a specially designed room next to the high-security Korydallos prison. Strict security measures were in place for the first day of the trial.
The trial is expected to last several months, with the next hearing set for November 25.
