Forest proprietor Marinakis withdraws ahead of impending European qualification
Nottingham Forest, a Premier League club, might see its owner, Evangelos Marinakis, temporarily step back from his shareholding. This move comes as Marinakis also owns Greek club Olympiakos, which recently qualified for the Champions League.
UEFA's regulations on multi-club ownership dictate that no individual can control two clubs participating in the same competition to avoid conflicts of interest. Given Forest's potential qualification for Europe's top club competition alongside Olympiakos, Marinakis is placing his shares in a blind trust to comply with these regulations.
A blind trust, frequently used practice, means control of the shares is given to a trusted third party, allowing the owner to maintain ownership without interfering in the club's day-to-day operations. This temporary arrangement mirrors Manchester United's co-owners, INEOS, who suspended their interest in Nice for the current season.
Meanwhile, Forest's co-owner, Sokratis Kominakis, is returning to the club's board. With a game against Brentford ahead and four games remaining in the season, Forest has a chance to climb to third in the Premier League. This would guarantee Champions League qualification, provided they secure one of the top five places.
After overcoming back-to-back relegation fights since rejoining the Premier League in 2022, this turnaround marks a significant improvement for the club. Notably, Forest hasn't played in Europe's elite competition since the 1980/81 season, when they were two-time defending champions under former manager Brian Clough.
While Marinakis addresses the conflict of interest issue, UEFA's regulations on multi-club ownership permit control of clubs in different UEFA competitions. Still, operational synergies between these clubs are limited due to national regulations and commercial autonomy, and research shows minimal intra-group transfers occur.
- In light of Nottingham Forest's potential qualification for the Champions League and Olympiakos' current participation, Evangelos Marinakis is placing his shares in Olympiakos into a blind trust to adhere to UEFA's regulations on multi-club ownership.
- The blind trust, a common practice, allows Marinakis to maintain ownership without interfering in Olympiakos' day-to-day operations, similar to the arrangement Manchester United's co-owners, INEOS, have with Nice this season.
- As Forest prepares for a game against Brentford and four remaining games in the Premier League, they have a chance to climb to third place, securing Champions League qualification if they finish among the top five teams.
- After overcoming back-to-back relegation fights since returning to the Premier League in 2022, this improved position marks a significant accomplishment for Forest, who haven't played in the Champions League since the 1980/81 season.
- Despite the operational synergies being limited due to national regulations and commercial autonomy, UEFA's regulations allow for control of clubs in different UEFA competitions, although research indicates minimal intra-group transfers occur.
