Greek Super League suspended indefinitely after PAOK president Ivan Savvidis invaded pitch armed with a gun
The Russian-Greek businessman confronted the referee during the league game with AEK Athens with a gun holstered on his hip
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Your support makes all the difference.The Greek Super League has been suspended indefinitely after PAOK Salonika’s president Ivan Savvidis invaded the pitch on Sunday during his side’s match with AEK Athens to confront the referee, armed with a gun.
Savvidis, a Russian-Greek businessman, was restrained from reaching referee Georgios Kominis shortly before the full-time whistle was due, having grown angry with the decision to rule out a late goal for offside for his team in the eventual 0-0 draw.
But as he walked onto the pitch, it became visible that he had a hand gun placed in a hip holster.
The AEK players immediately left the field in the 90th minute of the match and did not return, with the game being officially abandoned around two hours later and the remaining minutes to be played at a later date.
However, local police have issued an arrest warrant for Savvidis, according to Skai TV, but only for invading the pitch area, and the deputy sports minister, Giorgos Vasiliadis, announced on Monday that all Greek Super League matches have been postponed until further notice following a meeting with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.
Warrants have also been issued for four other people involved in the incident.
Both Fifa and Uefa condemned the actions of Savvidis, but announced that any disciplinary measures “fall under the jurisdiction of the Greek FA”.
PAOK released a statement on Monday, but failed to reference the fact that their club president took a gun onto the pitch while the match was still being played. Instead, it stressed that “Savvidis is preparing to take all necessary steps to protect the club and all his executives and associates from the threats and attacks they are suffering”, before adding that “more relevant announcement” will be made.
A Fifa statement read: “Fifa is aware of the incident. First of all, Fifa fully condemns such behaviour. Given that this incident occurred in the context of a national competition, any disciplinary measure to be imposed falls under the jurisdiction of the deciding bodies of the Greek FA.”
The incident is the second match to be abandoned in the space of a month after PAOK’s game with Olympiakos Piraeus was abandoned before kick-off when head coach Oscar Garcia, formerly of Brighton and Watford, was struck on the head by a roll of paper thrown from the stands. PAOK was initially deducted three points for the abandonment, but had the sanction overturned on appeal.
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