ALL FIRED UP

Greek Soccer League Suspended After Owner Storms Field With Gun

Ivan Savvidis, owner of PAOK, charged onto the field in protest with a handgun holstered on his hip.

The owner of a Greek soccer team confronted a referee on the field with a gun holstered on his hip and caused the entire league to get suspended. Ivan Savvidis, owner of PAOK, was furious about a ref’s call to overrule his team’s potentially game-winning goal during a PAOK vs. AEK Athens match in the Greek Superleague. Savvidis signaled to his team to vacate the pitch in protest of the call, then became aggressive with the referee and the opposing team on the field. It was not apparent that Savvidis was armed—until he removed his jacket. “It could be seen that he was moving his hand towards his waist because he had a gun,” AEK Manager Manolo Jiménez told a Spanish radio station. “He threatened the referee right in front of me... I’m stunned; I don’t understand it. It’s the type of thing you expect to see in a Clint Eastwood movie.” Referees canceled the match after the ruckus, and ended up upholding PAOK’s goal. An arrest warrant was issued for Savvidis, who is reportedly close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, for “invading the pitch.” The Greek prime minister and minister of sport suspended all Superleague play until “there is a clear framework, agreed by all, to move forward with conditions and rules.”