Forest owner Marinakis told libel claim can proceed

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis can continue a libel claim against a footballing rival in Greece, a judge has ruled.

Mr Marinakis, who also owns Greek side Olympiacos, tried to sue Super League rivals Aris FC's owner Irini Karipidis over several "false" allegations made against him.

The allegations included that he had conducted match-fixing and was involved in a high-profile drug trafficking case in Greece, which Mr Marinakis denies.

A judgement in the High Court on Friday ruled Mr Marinakis was able to proceed with the £2.1m claim.

Barristers for the shipping magnate told a hearing in October the claim should be allowed to continue in England and that the allegations amounted to a "smear campaign".

Lawyers for Ms Karipidis said the claim "lacks merit" and an English court "is not clearly the most appropriate place" for the claim.

During the ruling, Richard Spearman KC, sitting as a deputy High Court judge, said the "claim seems well worth bringing".

He told the court: "If the claimant's pleaded case succeeds, the level of general damages to which he would, on the face of it, be entitled is such that, from the perspective of compensating for harm to his reputation alone, the claim seems well worth bringing, to say nothing of compensation for distress or the element of vindication which is typically of significance in claims for defamation."

A hearing previously heard that allegations were made online and on social media between November 2023 and March last year.

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