Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has been indicted alongside four Olympiacos board members for charges related to sports violence and criminal activities.
A Greek judicial council made the decision as part of an ongoing investigation.
Marinakis, who is also the president of Greek club Olympiacos and Nottingham Forest, denies the charges. He has accused Greece's Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and his media allies of trying to blackmail him.
Alongside Marinakis, Olympiacos vice-president Giannis Moralis, club CEO Dimitris Agrafiotis, and vice-presidents Kostas Karapapas and Michalis Kountouris are also facing trial. Greek newspaper Kathimerini reported that a number of supporters are involved as well.
The charges come from an incident in 2023, which happened four days after Olympiacos drew 2-2 against Volos. A riot police officer was fatally injured by a flare during clashes with Olympiacos fans outside a volleyball game in Renti, a suburb of Piraeus.
Marinakis denies charges and criticises Greek government
In response, Marinakis, who also owns Greek media company Alter Ego Media, released a strong statement on Olympiacos' website. He claimed the charges are part of a political attack against him.
He accused the Greek government of using the justice system as a weapon against him, saying:
"A desperate Prime Minister and his media allies are trying to blackmail me, but they will fail. I will not be silenced, I will not give in, and I will fight for the truth."
Marinakis bought Nottingham Forest in 2017. When asked about the situation, the Premier League club declined to comment.
Comments