Soviets Charge Referee Bias in Argentina Loss

Soviet soccer officials made a verbal protest to soccer’s international governing body today over what they called biased refereeing that led to the team’s virtual elimination from the World Cup.

A delegation, led by Soviet soccer federation Vice President Nikita Simonyan, visited FIFA headquarters in Rome where they protested “biased refereeing against the Soviet team, especially by Swedish referee (Erik) Fredriksson.”

“At first we considered filing an official written protest, but then we concluded that no eventual FIFA judgment could morally satisfy us,” Simonyan said in an interview upon his return to this northwestern Italian resort from Rome.

Soviets say the Swedish referee in the match they lost 2-0 against Argentina on Wednesday missed what appeared to be a hand ball by Argentine star captain Diego Maradona.

Maradona admitted Thursday that he inadvertently used his hand to stop the ball from going into the Argentine goal in the first half. Television replays showed the ball apparently hit Maradona’s hand after a scramble in front of the Argentine goal.

The Argentine star said it was understandable that a referee might not always be in a position to call such a foul.

Soviet team officials said Fredriksson refereed the 1986 match the Soviets lost to Belgium 3-2 which knocked them out of the World Cup in Mexico. Two of the Belgian goals appeared to have come on offside plays.

“Referees can make mistakes, but Fredriksson’s two-time biased refereeing against our team cannot be considered accidental,” Simonyan said.