Gun-toting Greek club owner invades pitch, football league suspended

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It is neither a scene from any Quentin Tarantino movie nor any Hollywood westerner. Taking a leaf out of a pulp fiction series, a Greek club owner displayed a brazen act of one-upmanship on the football field.

Ivan Savvidis, the owner of the Greek top-flight club PAOK, stormed into the pitch with a gun in a hip holster after his side had a late goal ruled out for offside during a Greek Superleague game against AEK Athens in Toumba Stadium in Thessaloniki, Greece on Sunday.

Ivan Savvides (C), pictured with what appears to be a gun in a holster, enters the pitch after the referee annulled a goal of PAOK against AEK Athens in Toumba Stadium in Thessaloniki, Greece. /VCG Photo

Accompanied by his bodyguards, Savvidis, who is one of the richest and most influential tycoons in his country, confronted the referee after he disallowed a goal scored by PAOK’s Fernando Varela in the 89th minute of the top-of-the-table clash.

As a result of the shocking invasion of the gun-toting club owner and the chaotic situation aftermath, the match was abandoned while the top-flight matches of the Superleague have been suspended indefinitely.

"We are in communication with UEFA and the Championship will not resume unless there is a new and clear framework agreed by everyone so we can move forward with rules and regulations,” Greece's Deputy Culture and Sports Minister Georgios Vassiliadis told National Greek broadcaster ERT after his meeting with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

Ivan Savvides (C), creates a scene of chaos and commotion after walking onto the pitch with a pistol. /VCG Photo

Notably, it has been a tumultuous time in Greek football as things have turned volatile over the past couple of years. Macthes were suspended in all divisions after referee's chief Giorgos Bikas was the victim of an arson attack in November 2016, while investigations into a match-fixing scandal that came to light in 2011 remain ongoing.

Two weeks ago, PAOK's home game with Olympiacos was abandoned before kick-off when visiting coach Oscar Garcia was struck by an object thrown from the stands. PAOK were initially docked three points but overturned the decision on appeal.