Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis says he did not deliberately spit on the floor as match officials walked past, but was simply coughing as a result of his ciagar habit. Marinakis has been handed a five-match stadium ban after being found guilty of improper conduct over the incident at the City Ground on 28 September.

The Greek businessman claimed he was suffering from a hacking cough after the referee and two match officials said he spat at the floor in their direction following Forest's defeat to Fulham last month.

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis' five-match stadium ban for "improper conduct" came because of him being found guilty of spitting at the feet of referee Josh Smith.

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis was given a five-match stadium ban for spitting on the ground as match officials walked by in the tunnel, an independent regulatory commission said on Tuesday.

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis received a five-match stadium ban for spitting in the tunnel after a Premier League game. The commission ruled it as an act of improper conduct, dismissing Marinakis' claim of it being accidental due to a cough,

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis was given a five-match stadium ban for spitting on the floor as the referee walked past him.

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis was given a five-match ban for spitting on the floor as the match officials walked past him following their 2-2 draw with Fulham last month. Marinakis’ ban was confirmed last week after an independent regulatory commission investigated him following an FA charge of misconduct.

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis spat towards match officials in a “flagrant display of disrespectful behaviour”, the Football Association successfully claimed to a commission.