PAOK Football Club Owner handed three-year ban for invading pitch with a gun

Ivan Savvidis, the gun-toting president of Greek club PAOK, has been punished for his pitch invasion which led to the suspension of top-flight football in the country.

Savvidis, a Russian billionaire and pal of Vladimir Putin, owns PAOK and took issue with a refereeing decision in the 89th minute of a match against AEK Athens earlier this month.

The referee disallowed a PAOK goal in the final minute of the game between the two rivals at the top of the Greek Superleague. So, the club’s president decided to charge onto the pitch with a holstered gun on his belt and protest the decision. This led to chaotic scenes at the stadium, and Savvidis later apologised, saying he was merely trying to prevent “human casualties.”

The Greek Superleague was suspended by the government and is set to resume this weekend after a three-week hiatus.

Savvidis has been fined €100,000 (£87,560) for his pitch invasion and has been banned from entering a stadium for the next three years.

PAOK have also been docked three points and fined €63,000 (£55,150).

PAOK's owner Ivan Savvidis has to be held back from attacking the ref after his team's last minute goal was disallowedpic.twitter.com/ZZLhRFvv8L

— Gilles (@GrimandiTweets) March 11, 2018