FC Rostov

Ivan Savvidis was a member of the Russian parliament with the United Russia party and was closely associated with the country’s president, Vladimir Putin

A Ukrainian court has confirmed a request from the country's government to seize the assets of Greek-Russian businessman Ivan Savvidis and his wife, Kyriaki.

In a statement posted on its website, the Ukrainian Justice Ministry said that the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine had accepted its request on Thursday to seize the Savvidis' assets in the country.

PAOK Chairman Ivan Savvidis was acquitted on appeal by a Thessaloniki court for his pitch invasion during the Greek Super League fixture between PAOK and AEK Athens in March 2018, but received an eight-month suspended sentence after being found guilty for the weapon he had on him.

Ivan Savvidis is on a list of 2,500 individuals, mostly businesspeople and bankers, that the Ukrainian government considers as "Putin's people", the reason for the latest imposition of strict economic sanctions on them. Kyiv, in fact, calls on the European Union to impose the same sanctions.

Porto Carras is set to have a new owner, as Technical Olympic has agreed to sell the emblematic tourism resort at Halkidiki in central Macedonia to the Ivan Savvidis group's Belterra Investments for 205 million euros.

The next few days will likely reveal the future of the Porto Carras holiday resort at Halkidiki in Central Macedonia, as the new and improved offer by Ivan Savvidis' Belterra Investments is expected to speed up discussions on the matter.

The Porto Carras luxury resort in Halkidiki, central Macedonia, is about to change hands, with owner Technical Olympic (controlled by the Stengos family) having signed a memorandum of understanding with Belterra Investments, a member of the group owned by Ivan Savvidis.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met on Monday with Greek-Russian businessman Ivan Savvidis, the premier's office said in a statement.

The two men discussed issues related to Thessaloniki soccer team PAOK, the northern city's port and the businessman's planned real estate development in Paliouri, Halkidiki, in northern Greece, the office said. 

PAOK is looking for a new manager after the unexpected departure of Razvan Lucescu on Friday, with Abel Ferreira being the likely successor according to reports.

The government on Friday submitted an amendment in Parliament writing off a 44-million-euro fine the state had imposed on tobacco company SEKAP over smuggling infractions.
SYRIZA had voted a similar amendment in 2017, but an appeals court in northern Greece upheld the fine in 2017, noting that it did not have a retroactive application.