Why Evangelos Marinakis on the pitch and in the tunnel is a good thing as Nottingham Forest legend compares Greek billionaire to another eccentric owner that embraced 'craziness'

Shipping magnate Marinakis completed his takeover of Forest in May 2017, with ambitious plans for the future being drawn up at that stage. He was the man to oversee the Reds’ long-awaited return to the English top-flight in 2022 - following a 23-year absence.

Since then, eyebrows have been raised on a regular basis. Forest recruited heavily on the back of promotion, with many rival supporters missing the point there, while Marinakis stepped onto the field following an East Midlands derby date with Leicester in May 2025 - leading to a very public discussion with head coach Nuno Espirito Santo.

Forest then became embroiled in a European competition row with Crystal Palace, regarding club ownership regulations, and prevented England international playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White from leaving for Tottenham. More complaints to the Premier League regarding officiating have been filed in 2025-26.

Marinakis makes no apologies for ruling with passion - as is also the case at Olympiacos - and boasts widespread support among the Forest fan base. Earnshaw considers a larger-than-life character to be good for the game.

Speaking in association with NordicBet, where fans can follow the latest Europa League odds, ex-Reds star Earnshaw told GOAL when drawing on experiences from his own career: “I kind of understand this situation a bit. Rewind back and I was fortunate to have a guy called Sam Hammam at Cardiff when I was there. He was the owner of the club , the chairman, he was the boss. And me, playing in Europe, playing in different countries, different leagues, I understand the situation.

“My days when I was at Cardiff, Sam Hammam came in and bought the club, said he is going to try and take the team to the Premier League, he invested. He did things that were out of the ordinary. The rest of the teams had their chairmen sat in the boxes, in the nice seats, drinking nice coffees, Sam Hammam wasn’t interested in that, it’s not how he saw football. He was very passionate, very invested.

“We used to see him on the sidelines and walking behind the goal with his bodyguard, cheering on the fans. He was more than just buying a football club and putting an investment in. He was a fan of football and this is how he saw things. There was a bit of craziness in it, a bit of theatrics, but it was also about enjoying the football club with the fans. I got to experience those things.”

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Earnshaw, who took in over 100 appearances for Forest while helping them through Championship play-off campaigns, added: “When Mr Marinakis comes on the pitch and he’s greeting players in the tunnel, for me there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Also, in Greece, when you are the owner, you are entitled to go in the dressing room, to go on the pitch, it’s part of the game as you come and be part of it - you speak with the players and you are the man in the middle. As the owner, you get a better feeling of what’s going on inside the football club.

“I have no problem with it and think Mr Marinakis has done a fantastic job. He is of course very ruthless and very determined, very direct in his ways, but he has taken this football club - in the last five/six years - into where it should be, in the Premier League, playing in Europe and having big European nights, playing in the Premier League and having the chance to go to the Champions League. Those moments are what every Forest fan wants to happen.

“I enjoy it. I enjoy him being involved. I think it’s been unbelievable and he deserves a lot of credit because he hasn’t just invested in the football club, he has fully invested himself in order to take the club to be successful. It has been a hell of a journey, a hell of a few years, but it wouldn’t be Forest if it was boring and we didn’t have personalities.

“Football is about personalities, so I love that. They shouldn’t just be sat there and you never hear from them in the box. They are part of the football club and their personality comes out. I’m all for that.

“Back in my time at Cardiff, Sam Hammam the owner, he was always in the corner - notepad in the corner, as the chairman with his bodyguard, making notes, writing the team down, who’s starting and all the subs. He was there because he wanted to understand it. Every single game I remember Sam Hammam used to be there and you’d see him in the corner. We still went out and got promotions, played football, because that was just part of how we did it. When Mr Marinakis is in and around the football club, on the pitch and in the tunnel, for me it is just personality, and I’m all up for that.”

While Forest have been competing in Europe this season, they have regressed domestically and find themselves wedged in another Premier League relegation battle. They sit just above the drop zone, six points clear of 17th-placed West Ham, heading into a crucial clash with Leeds United at Elland Road on Friday.