Palace potentially denied entry to Europa League?

[samprior]

A long read but an interesting one deeply involving our chubby friend

The Vampire Ship

How the seizure of Europe's largest heroin shipment created bloody fallout throughout the world—and sparked still-raging political corruption scandals in Turkey, Greece, and the Middle East

newrepublic.com

Ye I posted this a while back. He's a full on crook, incredible he passed the owners test. Not fit in any sense of the word.

A Greek guy I work with said he's one of the most controversial figures there and can't believe not more of it has been in the UK media.

 

[Jason Smith]

So before Forest came up I hadn't really ever heard of Marinakis, and even so I was always under the impression that he was just another business man like Jordan, Levy or more appropriately Stelios of the EasyJet empire (and the failed EasyEverything project).
However over these past few days the man's background has really piqued my interest. His continuous working of loop holes, evading contraventions, constant "good luck" - he has to have some prior experience, right?
"Right" would be putting it mildly.
Marinakis is big bad news, after some reading it seems he is essentially one of the biggest gangsters in Europe and controls the majority of the heroin supply coming into Europe. He made most of his money through illegal shipping and paying off officials.
He has a long history of bribery, match fixing and fraud convictions though always manages to get off on technicalities or because witnesses miraculously disappear.

And as somebody else pointed out on here, his nephew in law ( ? ) is on the board at UEFA Couldn't make it up.

The general secretary of UEFA is Theodore Theodoridis. Marinakis is his brother-in-law. Marinakis is, without question, a sociopath. He is the personification of institutionalised evil.

 

[mtp1958]

think we have got to the boredom stage with this topic , lets wait till next week for the next exciting episode😱😱😴

 

[Crazy_Eagle]

If Marinakis has those links to UEFA it makes me feel a bit more optimistic about CAS, however wasn't the UEFA ruling from an independent body too.

I've been checking this thread every day for too long now, I think I need to give myself the weekend off.

Justice will prevail, hopefully

COYP

 

[Foxy82]

How did Marinakis pass the fit and proper person's test?

Evangelos Marinakis passed the EFL's Owners' and Directors' Test, previously known as the Fit and Proper Persons Test, to acquire Nottingham Forest in 2017. This test, applied by the English Football League (EFL), assesses the suitability of individuals seeking to own or direct football clubs. While Marinakis was under investigation for alleged match-fixing and other offenses in Greece at the time, the EFL ultimately approved the takeover after reviewing his business plan and receiving a positive response from UEFA regarding his ownership of Olympiacos.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:

• EFL's Owners' and Directors' Test:
  This test is designed to ensure that individuals with significant control over football clubs are fit and proper to do so, with specific criteria related to financial conduct, criminal history, and other relevant factors.
• Marinakis's Situation:
  At the time of the Nottingham Forest takeover, Marinakis was facing investigations in Greece related to match-fixing and other alleged offenses.
• EFL's Decision:
  Despite these investigations, the EFL approved the takeover, stating they found no reason to disqualify Marinakis under the test.
• UEFA's Involvement:
  The EFL also sought input from UEFA, who provided a positive response regarding Marinakis's ownership of Olympiacos.
• Marinakis's Response:
  Marinakis has consistently denied the allegations against him, attributing them to jealousy and stating that he was acquitted of the charges.
• Premier League Scrutiny:
  After Nottingham Forest's promotion to the Premier League, the league began its own scrutiny of Marinakis's ownership, although it's not explicitly stated that this is related to the EFL's initial approval.

 

[Foxy82]

How did Marinakis pass the fit and proper person's test?

Evangelos Marinakis passed the EFL's Owners' and Directors' Test, previously known as the Fit and Proper Persons Test, to acquire Nottingham Forest in 2017. This test, applied by the English Football League (EFL), assesses the suitability of individuals seeking to own or direct football clubs. While Marinakis was under investigation for alleged match-fixing and other offenses in Greece at the time, the EFL ultimately approved the takeover after reviewing his business plan and receiving a positive response from UEFA regarding his ownership of Olympiacos.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:

• EFL's Owners' and Directors' Test:
  This test is designed to ensure that individuals with significant control over football clubs are fit and proper to do so, with specific criteria related to financial conduct, criminal history, and other relevant factors.
• Marinakis's Situation:
  At the time of the Nottingham Forest takeover, Marinakis was facing investigations in Greece related to match-fixing and other alleged offenses.
• EFL's Decision:
  Despite these investigations, the EFL approved the takeover, stating they found no reason to disqualify Marinakis under the test.
• UEFA's Involvement:
  The EFL also sought input from UEFA, who provided a positive response regarding Marinakis's ownership of Olympiacos.
• Marinakis's Response:
  Marinakis has consistently denied the allegations against him, attributing them to jealousy and stating that he was acquitted of the charges.
• Premier League Scrutiny:
  After Nottingham Forest's promotion to the Premier League, the league began its own scrutiny of Marinakis's ownership, although it's not explicitly stated that this is related to the EFL's initial approval.

Theodore Theodoridis was appointed interim General Secretary of UEFA in March 2016. Marinakis passed the 'test' to acquire Forest the following year. I wonder who at UEFA was asked for input 🤔

 

[ex hibitionist]

👏🏻 this post wins the whole
Thread!!!!! We’re in the UEFA Schrodinger’s league

That is superb!! 👏🏻

and true to form whichever list we look at we're suddenly in the other one too. This Forest and UEFA involvement does have the look of one of those mad conspiracy theories which isn't mad, even that Strasbourg game. There was never any reason why UEFA couldn't let us get our house in order after March 1, especially in light of an email which apparently said so. Yawn, yawn...

 

[crvenaeagle]

Ye I posted this a while back. He's a full on crook, incredible he passed the owners test. Not fit in any sense of the word.

A Greek guy I work with said he's one of the most controversial figures there and can't believe not more of it has been in the UK media.

I admit I missed it, somewhere amongst the 3000 posts in this loopy topic.
He's just one of those weird characters that the more you look into the more unbelievable it gets.

As somebody wrote on another website you could make a film or series about this guy, it's that wild a story.

 

[CPTBsn]

"if he was a director (which looks like he was) Then it's probably a slam dunk for uefa."

If he's a director with one vote out of four and without the casting vote which means he must get a three to one majority against Parrish to overrule him then it's probably less than a slam dunk, and not quite a penalty kick maybe?

The director would mean he is involved in management / admin of both clubs. There's no reference to control or influence there, it's black and white sadly.

We have fixed that now and agree you'd argue uefas deadline was too tight.

 

[DANGERCLOSE]

 

[crvenaeagle]

"EXCLUSIVE"
The Mails favourite word, after REVEALED and TRANSGENDER of course 😆

 

[Eaglecoops]

Given that the vast majority of cups are nowhere near completion by 1st March, UEFA are basically saying that all clubs attempting to qualify for Europe via a cup who are affected by being in a MCO need to place their shares in a blind trust unless they finish higher in their league than the other team in their MCO group which they also won’t know until after 1st March.

Because they don’t know whether they are going to finish higher this would entail ALL teams in cups so affected having to go down the blind trust route prior to 1st March to meet UEFA’s requirements.

This is the most ludicrous set of rules ever because they also state that they have to remain in trust for the full duration of the tournament which means you could have multiple clubs with their owners unable to manage their own clubs due to having shares in trusts.

This is the sledgehammer of all sledgehammers to crack the walnut of what is a crappy attempt to remove collusion over match fixing.

But it’s ok for them to relax the date for Marinakis because he promised in February to put his shares in trust if needed even though he didn’t until end of April.

Corrupt w anchors.

 

[doombear]

If Marinakis has those links to UEFA it makes me feel a bit more optimistic about CAS, however wasn't the UEFA ruling from an independent body too.

I've been checking this thread every day for too long now, I think I need to give myself the weekend off.

Justice will prevail, hopefully

COYP

laughs out loud

 

[Steveoxon]

Given that the vast majority of cups are nowhere near completion by 1st March, UEFA are basically saying that all clubs attempting to qualify for Europe via a cup who are affected by being in a MCO need to place their shares in a blind trust unless they finish higher in their league than the other team in their MCO group which they also won’t know until after 1st March.

Because they don’t know whether they are going to finish higher this would entail ALL teams in cups so affected having to go down the blind trust route prior to 1st March to meet UEFA’s requirements.

This is the most ludicrous set of rules ever because they also state that they have to remain in trust for the full duration of the tournament which means you could have multiple clubs with their owners unable to manage their own clubs due to having shares in trusts.

This is the sledgehammer of all sledgehammers to crack the walnut of what is a crappy attempt to remove collusion over match fixing.

But it’s ok for them to relax the date for Marinakis because he promised in February to put his shares in trust if needed even though he didn’t until end of April.

Corrupt w anchors.

Well put.

 

[maddog]

Just posted this to:

info@cpfc.co.uk

FTAO: Christine Dowdeswell

The reason why the date was changed to the 1st of March was so that UEFA could undertake detailed checks on all MCOs well before the tournaments start.

“This change was deemed necessary considering the complexity of the cases investigated by the Club Financial Control Body (CFCB), which is charged with dealing with multi-club ownership issues. The newly approved assessment date is intended to provide sufficient time for completion of the decision-making process and ensure the smooth running of UEFA’s club competitions.” UEFA document dated 7th October 2024.

But this begs the question: What is that ‘decision-making process’? What was the CFCB actually doing from the 1st of March onwards that would require them to fulfil their remit by engaging with clubs that have MCO issues? Surely, they will have to be held accountable for that. And surely also this exposes the fallacy of the 1st of March deadline that Crystal Palace was found to be in breach of. On the contrary, it is the CFCB who are in breach for not conducting their investigations properly, and therefore it is they who are in breach of UEFA's own rules.

Sincerely,

Jason Smith

Good point. So the 1st March deadline relates to setting up a blind trust. There is no blind trust for CFCB to examine so the deadline does not apply to Palace.

And there is no breach of the MCO rules since Textor no longer holds shares in both clubs!

UEFA has no case against us.

 

[NEILLO]

Good point. So the 1st March deadline relates to setting up a blind trust. There is no blind trust for CFCB to examine so the deadline does not apply to Palace.

And there is no breach of the MCO rules since Textor no longer holds shares in both clubs!

UEFA has no case against us.

I think you've missed the point !

Think of it this way - all MCO clubs had to have their house in order by 1/3/25. After that deadline UEFA do their checks to ensure all clubs comply with their rules. You then have to take into account the changing scenarios of which clubs may be affected eg Lyon's last gasp qualification through their league position.

In the strictest application of their rules there certainly is a case against Palace for the very reason that there was no Blind Trust on 1/3/25.

Textor's share sale doesn't alter the fact that as at 1/3/25 he owned shares in both clubs.

Hence the sentiment that the only thing Palace have been remiss with was hitting that 1/3 deadline and that the resulting punishment does not fit that crime.

 

[Wisbech Eagle]

Ye I posted this a while back. He's a full on crook, incredible he passed the owners test. Not fit in any sense of the word.

A Greek guy I work with said he's one of the most controversial figures there and can't believe not more of it has been in the UK media.

With that history Steve Parish had better be very careful if CAS overturn the UEFA decision and reinstate us. A lot a people seem to end up with holes in them.

Having someone like Marinakis in charge of one of the PL clubs seems a ridiculous state of affairs. Abramavitch was bad enough but this guy seems on another level. Yet the Forest fans think he it's great if he is sports washing dirty money through them. Only allegedly and able to be plausibly denied, of course.

 

[Teddy Eagle]

With that history Steve Parish had better be very careful if CAS overturn the UEFA decision and reinstate us. A lot a people seem to end up with holes in them.

Having someone like Marinakis in charge of one of the PL clubs seems a ridiculous state of affairs. Abramavitch was bad enough but this guy seems on another level. Yet the Forest fans think he it's great if he is sports washing dirty money through them. Only allegedly and able to be plausibly denied, of course.

They're the new Fisher Athletic.

 

[maddog]

I think you've missed the point !

Think of it this way - all MCO clubs had to have their house in order by 1/3/25. After that deadline UEFA do their checks to ensure all clubs comply with their rules. You then have to take into account the changing scenarios of which clubs may be affected eg Lyon's last gasp qualification through their league position.

In the strictest application of their rules there certainly is a case against Palace for the very reason that there was no Blind Trust on 1/3/25.

Textor's share sale doesn't alter the fact that as at 1/3/25 he owned shares in both clubs.

Hence the sentiment that the only thing Palace have been remiss with was hitting that 1/3 deadline and that the resulting punishment does not fit that crime.

Have I? Agreed it hinges on exactly what the ‘1st March Rule’ says - so has anyone seen exactly what it says? I have only seen the published regulations and there is no date mentioned there. The 1st March deadline seems to have been documented in an email to clubs so what exactly was it that had to be done by 1st March? I have only seen it mentioned in reference to a blind trust.

 

[NEILLO]

Have I? Agreed it hinges on exactly what the ‘1st March Rule’ says - so has anyone seen exactly what it says? I have only seen the published regulations and there is no date mentioned there. The 1st March deadline seems to have been documented in an email to clubs so what exactly was it that had to be done by 1st March? I have only seen it mentioned in reference to a blind trust.

Yes, that was the Blind Trust deadline that was apparently communicated in the infamous email. So MCO clubs needed to either have the relevant shares put into a Blind Trust or of course, sold