Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has paused his involvement in the club to avoid breaking UEFA rules.
The Forest chief will now have no control over the club next season after following what INEOS and Manchester United did last year.
Marinakis bought the East Midlands club in 2017 and has enjoyed a huge amount of success, with them now on the brink of the Champions League.
They are sixth in the Premier League with five games to go and a top-five finish is enough to qualify for the competition.
But with that, complications have arisen and the Greek billionaire has had to act now to prevent any sanctions coming the club’s way.
Marinakis has temporarily suspended his interest in Forest by placing shares in a blind trust to avoid UEFA punishment.
He has also removed himself from control on Companies House, with documents showing he has ceased to become a ‘person with significant control’.
Marinakis also owns Greek giants Olympiakos and UEFA regulations over multi-club ownership have forced him to make a decision.
Olympiakos and Forest could both qualify for the Champions League next season and UEFA doesn’t allow two clubs under the same ownership to compete in the same competition.
Rule 5.01 in the Regulations of the Champions League states: “No club participating in a UEFA club competition may, either directly or indirectly:
- Hold or deal in the securities or shares of any other club participating in a UEFA club competition.
- Be a member of any other club participating in a UEFA club competition.
- Be involved in any capacity whatsoever in the management, administration and/or sporting performance of any other club participating in a UEFA club competition.
- Have any power whatsoever in the management, administration and/or sporting performance of any other club participating in a UEFA club competition.”
The Rule then continues, saying: “No one may simultaneously be involved, either directly or indirectly, in any capacity whatsoever in the management, administration and/or sporting performance of more than one club participating in a UEFA club competition.
“No individual or legal entity may have control or influence over more than one club participating in a UEFA club competition.”
UEFA stipulations are also reported to say that changes need to be made at the relevant clubs before the end of April, heading into the new season.
Therefore, Marinakis has suspended his involvement at Forest on April 30 to comply and avoid any complications should the club and Olympiakos reach the Champions League.
If both clubs qualified for the competition and Marinakis was still involved in both, one of the teams would have had to pull out.
There is a chance that Forest are in the Europa League instead, but Marinakis has made the move now to make sure no punishments can come their way, no matter what happens.
Telegraph Sport reports that he remains fully committed to the club despite this decision.
The Forest owner has done what Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS did at Manchester United to avoid them being handed any sanctions.
INEOS also own French side Nice and Swiss team Lausanne Sport, but the company have put their shares in those clubs into a blind trust.
United were cleared by UEFA to compete in Europe this season after Ratcliffe made ‘significant changes’ to his company’s involvement in Nice.
And then earlier this year, INEOS also placed its ownership of Lausanne Sport into a blind trust to comply with rules in case the club qualify for Europe.
Manchester City have also done the same amid their concerns over breaking rules with Spanish side Girona who are owned by City Football Group too.
The ownership group suspended their interest in Girona, with both teams competing together in the Champions League league phase this campaign.
So, Marinakis’ decision to step back from Nottingham Forest isn’t something that hasn’t happened before in the Premier League.
But it does mean he has decided to remain an integral part of Olympiakos’ plans instead of Forest’s for next season.
If Champions League football does come to the City Ground in 2025/26, it would be their first time in the competition in 30 years.
What does it mean for Edu?
Former Arsenal sporting director Edu is expected to join up with Marinakis’ multi-club ownership group.
That is likely to be announced in the coming weeks.
But what does Marinakis’ suspension of his control in Nottingham Forest mean for the ex-Gunners man?
Well, talkSPORT understands the changes just relate to the owner of the club and not Edu’s role.
BBC Sport reports that the Brazilian has been working on an informal basis since leaving Arsenal, with his appointment yet to be sorted.
Edu left the Emirates in November and has completed his notice period following that departure.
