PAOK-AEK: Greek league game halted as gun-toting owner leads protests over disallowed goal
A controversially disallowed goal led to ugly scenes in the Greek league clash between PAOK Salonika and AEK Athens on Sunday evening. Jamaica vs USA: Gold Cup live
The owner of Greek club PAOK Salonika could be seen wielding a gun at his belt as he attempted to confront the referee amid furious protests over a disallowed goal in a top-of-the-table league match on Sunday.
Varela header controversially ruled out for offside
In the closing stages of third-placed PAOK's home clash with leaders AEK Athens, Fernando Varela thought he had headed in what appeared to be the winner for the hosts, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside - having initially been given.
Chaos then ensued, as PAOK's players surrounded referee Georgios Kominis and club chief Ivan Savvidis marched onto the field and ordered his team off in protest.
PAOK owner Savidis seen toting gun
And images have emerged of Savvidis carrying a gun at his waist as club officials held him back from Kominis at the Stadio Toumbas, with the 58-year-old even reported to have said to the referee: "You're dead".
After at first being temporarily halted, the game was finally called off.
AEK coach Jiménez: Like a Clint Eastwood movie
"To begin with, we didn't know if he had a gun, then we saw it," AEK's Spanish coach Manolo Jiménez said to Cadena SER. "It could be seen that he was moving his hand towards his waist because he had a gun.
"He threatened the referee right in front of me," Jiménez added. "According to my interpreter, he told him: 'You're finished as a referee'.
"I'm stunned; I don't understand it. It's more like something you'd expect to see in a Clint Eastwood movie."
Scenes come on the back of West Ham, Lille incidents
The ugly scenes in Greece come at the end of a weekend that has also seen incidents in England and France, where angry fans of West Ham United and Lille invaded the pitch to confront their own players.
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