The Russian owner of a Greek football club stormed onto the field with a gun at his side to dispute a referee’s decision during a contentious game over the weekend.
PAOK FC owner Ivan Savvidis was filmed running onto the pitch in Greece’s second-largest city of Thessaloniki on Sunday after the referee canceled a last-minute goal against PAOK’s first-place rivals AEK Athens. During the altercation that eventually ended in PAOK’s 1-0 victory, Savvidis was reportedly heard yelling “you are a dead man” at the referee, Giorgos Kominis.
Savvidis, a Russian citizen and an ex-deputy in the State Duma from the ruling United Russia party, said in a statement on Sunday that he would continue to do everything in his power “to protect PAOK’s legitimate interests.”
The referee reportedly awarded PAOK the victory two hours after withdrawing from the field following the threats on Sunday.
Greek sports media later reported that AEK planned to file complaints over Savvidis’ behavior with Greek authorities and the football governing bodies FIFA and UEFA.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
