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Nottingham Forest Owner Banned for Five Matches After Spitting Incident
Greek businessman Evangelos Marinakis, owner of Nottingham Forest Football Club, has been banned for five matches after he was seen spitting at the ground in the presence of the referee during his team’s match against Fulham.
Marinakis has been prohibited from attending five of his team’s matches after he was spotted spitting on the ground as the referee passed by during the game that Forest lost to Fulham in September, as reported by a security staff member.
The English Football Association published the reasons for the ruling: the Greek businessman spat on the ground in a disgusting and disrespectful manner as a protest against the match officials before him, and we find no justifiable reasons for this behavior.
Marinakis defended his actions by stating that he smokes two to three cigars daily, which compels him to spit into a tissue when he has one. He claimed he was suffering from a dry cough that night and felt the need to cough as the referee passed by, with no intention of showing disrespect to the official.
Marinakis's defense was not accepted by the independent panel, and he will miss his team's upcoming matches against Leicester, West Ham, Newcastle, and Arsenal.
