Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis banned for five games over spitting at floor as match officials walked past

The Nottingham Forest owner was given a five-game stadium ban for spitting on the floor as match officials walked past - despite claiming his cigar habit had caused him to cough up phlegm.

The Football Association (FA) revealed last week that Evangelos Marinakis had been given the ban after his side's 1-0 home defeat to Fulham at the City Ground on 28 September.

The Greek businessman spat at the floor as match officials walked past him in the tunnel following the defeat, which came after the London side were awarded a penalty by the video assistant referee (VAR).

An independent regulatory commission has now revealed he was found guilty of improper conduct.

Referee Josh Smith, assistant referee James Mainwaring and fourth official Tim Robinson submitted written statements to the panel saying they saw Mr Marinakis aim the spit at the floor in their direction.

In a statement, the independent panel has said Mr Marinakis's defence was that he was "suffering from a hacking cough on the day of the fixture".

It adds that the businessman said he "felt a cough coming and thus coughed on the floor".

His defence said that while he "accepts that phlegm or spittle may have been produced, this was as a result of coughing".

According to the panel, the Greek businessman also said he smokes "two or three cigars a day" and "often needs to expectorate and/or coughs".

Mr Marinakis said he could not remember if any "spittle left his mouth but if it did... it certainly was not aimed at the
referee's feet and did not hit anybody".

The panel adds that Mr Marinakis said he failed to see how coughing "towards the floor in a relatively crowded tunnel is misconduct".

In his evidence to the commission, referee Mr Smith said: "As I walked down the tunnel at the end of the match, Mr Evangelos Marinakis, the owner of Nottingham Forest, was stood on my left-hand side at the end of the tunnel.

"As I walked past him, he spat on the floor next to my left foot. This was also seen by James Mainwaring and Tim Robinson."

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Fourth official Mr Robinson told the commission: "I then came back out to continue monitoring the tunnel area and witnessed Mr Evangelos Marinakis making a spitting action as the match officials walked past him."

Assistant referee Mr Mainwaring said: "He did not say anything but as we approached him and was close, he spat on the ground as we approached him."

The FA submitted to the commission that the spitting was "entirely unprovoked" and "no match official should be expected to tolerate such a flagrant display of disrespectful behaviour".

The ban on Mr Marinakis was announced on Friday 18 October, with the independent panel saying he would be banned for the next five first team games, whether at home or away, after that date.

It added that the decision is subject to any appeal.

Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo and midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White were suspended on Friday for a separate incident which occurred during a 2-2 draw between Forest and Brighton in September.

Espirito Santo was given a three-match touchline ban after he was given a red card during the match, while Gibbs-White was given a one-match ban for his reaction to being sent off.

(c) Sky News 2024: Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis banned for five games over