Nottingham Forest Owner Weakens Control At Club Due To UEFA Rule

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has made strategic adjustments to his control of the club as part of efforts to prepare for potential Champions League qualification.

UEFA, the governing body of European football, has specific regulations regarding multi-club ownership. Marinakis currently holds ownership of both Nottingham Forest and Greek club Olympiakos, in addition to Portuguese team Rio Ave.

As Nottingham Forest and Olympiakos both aim for Champions League qualification, Marinakis has taken steps to align with UEFA’s guidelines, which prohibit clubs under the same ownership from competing in the same European tournament.

To this end, he has ceased to be recognized as a “person with significant control” of NF Football Investments Limited, the entity that owns Nottingham Forest.

Although Marinakis has placed his shares in a blind trust to adhere to UEFA’s rules, a club source has confirmed that he remains committed to Nottingham Forest as its owner, as reported by the BBC.

This adjustment is part of a broader reorganization submitted to Companies House, aimed specifically at ensuring compliance with UEFA’s ownership requirements.

Critically, the changes had to be finalized by the end of April, and Nottingham Forest has successfully met this deadline. With Marinakis stepping back, Sokratis Kominakis, a co-owner, will return to the club’s board.

Nottingham Forest currently sit in sixth place in the Premier League, sharing points with fifth-placed Chelsea, who currently hold the final Champions League qualification spot, while also having a game in hand.

Olympiakos, on the other hand, are leading the Greek Super League, positioning themselves favourably for Champions League qualification.

Additionally, former Arsenal sporting director Edu is anticipated to be announced in a new global role within Marinakis’ multi-club structure in the coming weeks.

Edu, who left Arsenal last November, has been engaged informally during this transitional period, with formal confirmation of his appointment expected later this summer.