Evangelos Marinakis, the owner of Olympiakos and Nottingham Forest, has gone on trial in Greece alongside 142 football fans accused of running a criminal organisation linked to sports-related violence. The trial, which began on Wednesday at the high-security Korydallos prison in Athens, is the largest of its kind in the country as authorities seek to crack down on hooliganism.
Marinakis, a shipping and media tycoon, and four other board members are charged with supporting the alleged criminal group between 2019 and 2024 and instigating violence with statements against authorities. They have dismissed the misdemeanour charges as groundless. Marinakis was not present in court and was represented by his lawyer.
The 142 fans face charges of running a crime organisation and causing life-threatening explosions at sporting events. They have denied wrongdoing. The investigation was prompted by the death of riot police officer George Lyngeridis in 2023, who was hit by a flare during clashes outside a women's volleyball match between Olympiakos and Panathinaikos, a normally low-risk game.
Prosecutors allege that fans moved a bag of flares and makeshift explosives from a storage room at Olympiakos's football stadium to the volleyball venue before the match. Lyngeridis died from his injuries weeks later, marking Greece's third fatality in sports violence in 2022-2023. The top court prosecutor subsequently urged a clampdown on criminal gangs linked to sports.
More than 210 people are expected to testify during the trial, which lawyers estimate could last more than a year. Violence has long plagued Greek sport, with hardcore supporters frequently clashing with police and rival fans. Hooliganism remains a major concern for UEFA.
