In March 2018, unhappy with a referee"s decision to disallow what would have been a late winning goal in a crucial match against AEK Athens, PAOK president Ivan Savvidis entered the pitch carrying a holstered gun. The league was suspended once more. Savvidis, a Greek-Russian tobacco magnate who served in government as a member of Vladimir Putin"s United Russia party, apologised. He was fined and his team docked points.