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.

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.