Shocking scenes unfolded in last nights game between PAOK Salonika and AEK Athens, when PAOK's president brought a gun onto the pitch after the game to consult the referee.

Ivan Savvidis, PAOK president and owner, came onto the pitch after his sides 0-0 draw to confront the referee about a disallowed goal for PAOK at the end of the game.

It's unusual to see a pitch invasion from a owner anyway, but in this case events took an even stranger and slightly scary turn, as it was apparent that Savvidis was in possession of a firearm.

PAOK defender Fernando Varela seemed to have given the home side a last-gasp winner at the Toumba Stadium, with a 90th-minute header, only for the goal to be disallowed after a short delay by the referee on the night.

In great frustration businessman Savvidis, came onto the pitch twice, accompanied by his body guards, to confront the referee. However, on the second occasion, Savvidis took matters too far by revealing a holstered gun, possibly a pistol, previously hidden by his overcoat.

AEK officials later claimed after the game, that Savvidis had also previously threatened the referee during his first invasion onto the pitch, before being pulled away.

The game was of extra importance at the top of the Greek Super League

Savvidis clearly went about venting his frustration in the wrong way last night, however his anger can be explained through the importance of the match itself.

Both AEK Athens and PAOK are near the top of the Greek Super League table, equivalent to the English Premier League in Greece, with last night's game of vital importance to both sides in the race for the title and Greece's two Champions League qualifying places.

PAOK currently sit third in the Greek Super League, which would qualify them for the Europa League if they maintained that position after the remaining six games.

However, they only sit one point behind second-place Olympiacos and five behind leaders AEK, meaning that the late disallowed goal would have taken them up into a Champions League qualifying spot and closed the gap to just two points to their opponents at the top of the table.

Furthermore, Savvidis may well have a right to be angry about the goal being disallowed.

The officials on the night have seemingly ruled out the goal for a player interfering with the ball in an offside position, despite that player not touching it. Moreover, at the point at which the offside player attempts to make contact with the ball, it is also past the goalkeeper and on the goal line.

It's certainly a tricky one to call and you can make a judgment for yourself in the video below. However, the points have not been shared by the teams with the Greek FA yet to make a decision on the match result after suspending the league indefinitely.
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