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PAOK president Ivan Savvidis ‘very sorry’ for invading pitch with a gun

PAOK president Ivan Savvidis entered the field of play with a gun at his side this weekend
PAOK president Ivan Savvidis entered the field of play with a gun at his side this weekend

It’s been a great week for football apologies, given Jamie Carragher’s antics over the last few days. Now, even better, PAOK Salonika president Ivan Savvidis has said that he is “very sorry” for his gun-toting pitch invasion on Sunday.

Enraged by a disallowed 89th-minute winner for his side in a crunch match against Greek Superleague leaders AEK Athens, Savvidis twice entered the field of play to remonstrate with the referee at PAOK’s Toumba Stadium. On the second occasion, he did so with a holstered pistol visible by his side.

This has understandably led to an enormous backlash in Greece, with the league season suspended indefinitely. AFP are reporting that Savvidis is on the run after police said they intended to arrest him on Monday.


Semi-apology

He has, however, managed to issue a statement on the situation and (sort of) apologise for his actions. According to the BBC, he said: “I am very sorry. I clearly had no right to enter the field of play in this fashion.

“My only aim was to protect tens of thousands of PAOK fans from provocation, riots and human casualties,” Savvidis added, though it is unclear how storming onto the pitch with a gun was meant to be helpful in any way.

READ MORE: Watch Carragher spit at 14-year-old girl

“Please believe that I had no intention to engage in a brawl with our opponents or the referees – and obviously did not threaten anybody.

“Unfortunately, my family and I, as well as my colleagues, have been taken hostage by a totally sick football status quo.

READ MORE: Carragher should not lose Sky job – Neville

“Despite the non-stop attacks I am facing on all fronts, I fight and I will continue to fight for fair football, equitable refereeing in all encounters and titles being won on the pitch and not in courtrooms.”

Meanwhile, according to BBC journalist Richard Conway, FIFA have said that Greece could be suspended from world football if its national governing body fails “to eradicate all sorts of violence in order to guarantee the smooth running of the national competitions.”