Club Owner Invades Pitch with Gun During Football Match

Segun Atanda with Agency Report/

A club owner in Greece entered the pitch armed with a pistol to protest over a disallowed goal on Sunday.

Ivan Savvides, owner of soccer team PAOK walked into the pitch twice during Sunday’s home match against Athens side AEK, according to Reuters.

Photographs and footage showed Savvides, one of Greece’s richest men, wearing a holster on his waist containing what appeared to be a revolver when he tried to intervene in the closing minutes of the game.

Savvides, accompanied by bodyguards, first walked into the pitch at Thessaloniki wearing an overcoat and the second time with the coat off and his holster in plain view.

He however did not pull out a weapon.

He was held back at one point as he and others remonstrated with the referee, who had disallowed a goal from PAOK’s Fernando Varela in the 89th minute. Up to then the match had been a goalless draw.

According to Reuters, Greece’s sports minister said today he was preparing to take action on the incident

Images of “persons entering sports grounds armed” harm PAOK and soccer in general, Greek Deputy Culture and Sports Minister Georgios Vassiliadis reportedly said in a written statement.

“Such extreme phenomena call for bold decisions,” Vassiliadis said, without elaborating. Greece’s state broadcaster ERT said one option being considered was suspending first division fixtures.

“We will not allow anybody to deter us from this path, even if tough decisions are required in consultation with UEFA,” Vassiliadis added.

Police said they wanted to question Savvides for unauthorised entry to the soccer pitch but did not mention they wanted to question him on the holster. A police source said the PAOK boss was licensed to carry a firearm.

The referee, Georgios Kominis, reviewed his decision after the game and allowed the goal, state TV reported.

0