Evangelos Marinakis, the owner of Nottingham Forest, has initiated a £2.1 million libel case in the High Court, asserting that he was the target of a "smear campaign" led by a Greek club owner accusing him of criminal leadership, match-fixing, and involvement in heroin trafficking.

Marinakis, a billionaire shipping tycoon who also owns the Greek Super League team Olympiacos, is taking legal action against Irini Karipidis, the owner of rival club Aris, following a series of allegations published online last year.

During a hearing on Thursday, the court was informed that these allegations, which Marinakis firmly denies, include “match-fixing activities such as extortion, fraud, and arson.”

Karipidis is alleged to have published claims online that Marinakis breached sanctions by using his shipping companies to transport oil and that he was involved in a high-profile drug trafficking case in Greece.

David Sherborne, representing Marinakis, stated in written submissions: “The allegations against Mr Marinakis are wholly untrue, and the defendants' evidence provides no basis for substantiating them.”

Sherborne continued: “The claims are false and highly defamatory, accusing Mr Marinakis of being the leader of a criminal organisation, engaging in match-fixing activities involving extortion, fraud, and arson, as well as suggesting he is deeply and actively involved in international heroin trafficking. They also imply he showed hypocrisy and cynicism in publicly condemning the Russian Federation’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.”

The court heard that the allegations were posted on a website named “nottinghamforestfire.co.uk” through three articles published in November 2023.

Karipidis’ legal team argued in London that the case should be dismissed as an English court is “not clearly the most appropriate forum” for the claim, which “lacks merit”.

However, barristers representing Marinakis, who has owned the Premier League club since 2017, insisted that the allegations were “entirely false” and argued that the English court was a suitable forum for the claim, as it had a “reasonable prospect of success”.

An account was also created on X (formerly Twitter), which posted several tweets in December 2023, along with six videos uploaded to a YouTube channel. The allegations were additionally displayed on mobile billboards outside Nottingham Forest’s stadium, the City Ground, on two match days. The YouTube channel, X account, and website have since been taken down.

Sherborne noted that these publications aimed to “falsely present” the campaign as a “grassroots” movement led by Forest fans concerned with the club’s ownership.

Marinakis, who did not attend Thursday’s hearing, initiated legal proceedings in April and is also suing Amani Swiss (Cyprus) Limited, a company chaired by Karipidis; Israeli national Ari Harow; and his company, Sheyaan Consulting Limited.

Sherborne described Harow as a political consultant, chief executive of Sheyaan Consulting, and former chief of staff to the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

Sherborne alleged that the “smear” campaign “was organised, financed, and executed by” Karipidis and Amani Swiss, with Harow and Sheyaan Consulting “assisting in its planning and execution.”

He argued that English courts were appropriate for this claim because the “methods and objectives pursued by the defendants were fundamentally British in nature.”

Matthew Hodson, representing Karipidis, told the court that a US-based PR firm, Harris Media, was responsible for creating the publications. Harris Media received $25,000 (£19,350) for its services but is not involved in the current case.

Hodson added that the social media campaign saw “limited exposure,” noting that it “fared poorly” and had not caused “actual harm” to Marinakis’s reputation.

He claimed the dispute originated from an incident at an Olympiacos and Aris match, where Karipidis operates with her brother, Theodoros. During the 2022-23 season, Marinakis reportedly approached Theodoros Karipidis to influence a “crucial” game in Olympiacos’s favour, but Karipidis refused, resulting in a 2-2 draw and Olympiacos finishing third, despite winning the league in the previous three seasons.

Hodson stated: “During the game, Mr Marinakis became so irate that, according to Ms Karipidis, he threatened Theodoros, saying he ‘would not leave the field alive’ if Olympiacos lost.”

Following the match, it is alleged Marinakis told Theodoros, “You are finished” and “I will destroy you,” subsequently launching an intimidation campaign impacting Ms Karipidis and her brother’s lives and businesses.

The barrister further alleged that Marinakis aimed to “harass the defendants” and that Karipidis and her family had endured “genuine criminal damage and arson” as a consequence.

He argued that the case was “motivated by revenge for the Aris vs Olympiacos match” and that the damages sought were “entirely disproportionate.”

Hodson noted that Harow had introduced Irini Karipidis to Harris Media, which was paid by Amani Swiss. However, he claimed that the case against Amani Swiss was “weak,” as the company “simply loaned Ms Karipidis the money” to fund the publications.

Ali Reza Sinai, representing Harow and Sheyaan Consulting, also sought to dismiss the case, asserting that, despite the apparent “bad blood” between Marinakis and Karipidis, there is “no substantive connection” between the allegations and his clients.

The hearing, overseen by Richard Spearman KC, acting as a deputy High Court judge, is ongoing. It follows a challenging month for Marinakis, who received a five-match stadium ban after allegedly spitting at match officials, which was deemed a “blatant act of disrespect.” Marinakis defended his actions, stating he was clearing his throat due to a persistent cough.