Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis hit with five-match stadium ban over alleged City Ground tunnel incident

Evangelos Marinakis has been hit with a stunning five-match stadium ban for ‘improper conduct’ in the tunnel area around Nottingham Forest’s match with Fulham.

The Forest owner has suffered the huge punishment on the same day boss Nuno Espirito Santo was banned for three matches and fined £55,000 for his behaviour after the 2-2 draw at Brighton last month. Star midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White was handed a one-match ban and fined £20,000 for incidents in the same game.

The FA statement read: ‘Evangelos Marinakis was charged with misconduct following Nottingham Forest’s Premier League match against Fulham on Saturday 28 September.

‘It was alleged that his behaviour around the tunnel area after the final whistle was improper. He denied this charge, but it was found proven by the independent Regulatory Commission, and a five-match stadium/ground suspension has been imposed.

‘The independent Regulatory Commission’s written reasons for its decisions will be published in due course.’

Forest were reportedly aggrieved that Fulham were awarded their winning penalty 

Forest had already been hit by a £750,000 fine for their explosive social media post last April questioning the appointment of Stuart Attwell as VAR following their 3-0 defeat at Everton

It marks another low point in the strained relationship between Forest and football’s governing bodies. Forest were still reeling from the eye-watering £750,000 fine imposed by an independent commission on October 11, relating to an explosive social media post last April that questioned the appointment of Stuart Attwell as VAR following their 3-0 defeat at Everton. Forest denied they had questioned the integrity of officials or brought the game into disrepute.

The club have responded immediately to the charge against Marinakis. A statement read: ‘Nottingham Forest notes the decision of the Regulatory Commission in relation to its owner, Evangelos Marinakis.

‘An appeal has immediately been lodged against this decision in respect of both the liability and the sanction.’