After the 2-1 victory over Aris, which clinched PAOK's title as this season's Super League champion on Monday 20 May, Ivan Savvidis' two sons, Nikos and Georgios, appeared in front of the stadium with the trophy in their hands.
“One last hug for the trophy before Nikos returns to England. Soon the cup will go to another hug, perhaps to the one who deserves it most – Ivan Savvidis!” – read the PAOK club poster, and 10 days later the cup went to Rostov. “In the arms of the man who first believed in it!” wrote the PAOK football club, accompanying a photo of the triumphant Ivan Savvidis.
Στην αγκαλιά του ανθρώπου που το πίστεψε πρώτος!#ThePresident #IvanSavvidis #TheIncredibles 🏆⚫⚪ pic.twitter.com/qKJHnaod9D
— PAOK FC (@PAOK_FC) May 30, 2024
The club president, wearing the team's jersey (which has been his habit since he first took charge) and with a long beard (which he is not used to), holds the trophy with a huge smile on his face.
Ivan Savvidis, holding the championship trophy, smiling and wearing the black PAOK uniform: “In the arms of the man who first believed in it!”, the black and white team said on social networks.
The editors of Athens News join in congratulating the club and Ivan Savvidis personally.
Savvidis recalled that after winning the championship, he sent his message to the club’s leaders the next day. Here are the details of what he told them: “But stop celebrating and I ask you to get back to work. We have learned to live like champions, so we know that the struggle is eternal, and the next goals need to be worked on from today.
On the competitive side, I ask that our only next goal is to be fully prepared to compete for a place in the group stage of the Champions League. Regarding infrastructure, there is no need to delay a single day in starting work at the training center, and it is also necessary to clarify the situation around Nea Toumba.
Whatever setbacks occur in the geopolitical arena, we must find ways to overcome them. By the team's centenary, we will probably have a ready-made training ground and even a stadium under construction. Finally, we no longer need to prove to anyone what we imagine football to be, so we must be sure that in the upcoming elections EPO no backward forces will prevail.”
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