Marinakis repeats blind trust move to protect Forest UEFA eligibility

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has transferred his shareholding into a blind trust for a second successive year as the club looks to ensure compliance with UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules.The step is designed to avoid a scenario in which Forest and Olympiacos, also owned by Marinakis, qualify for the same UEFA competition next season, which would expose both clubs to potential sanctions under UEFA regulations.Forest have taken the measure ahead of UEFA’s March 1 compliance deadline, with the arrangement suspending Marinakis’ interest in the club on a temporary basis for regulatory purposes.A blind trust is a structure in which control of assets is handed to an independent trustee to remove a direct conflict of interest.The risk is most acute if Forest win the UEFA Europa League, which would secure Champions League qualification, while Olympiacos also qualify for the Champions League via their domestic league position.UEFA rules do not allow clubs under the same controlling ownership to compete in the same European competition, putting multi-club groups under scrutiny when more than one team can reach the same tier.Companies House filings show Marinakis is no longer listed as a person with significant control at Nottingham Forest.Forest used a similar approach last season, reflecting how multi-club owners are increasingly relying on governance structures to protect European access rather than altering their long-term ownership positions.The tactic has become more prominent in English football after a high-profile dispute last summer led to a reshuffle in European qualification places following an ownership conflict involving two clubs.Forest’s move arrives while the club remain in contention in the Europa League, where success would materially shift their commercial outlook through Champions League revenues, sponsor leverage and global exposure.The club have also agreed compensation with the Scottish Football Association over the departure of Craig Mulholland, their head of football development, who is set to join the SFA as chief football officer at the end of the Premier League season.