FK Liepaja Photo: Ģirts Gertsons
“Optibet” Premier League team “Liepāja” after a 1: 1 draw with the leader unit RFS on Tuesday addressed the President of the Latvian Football Federation (LFF) Vadim Lashenko and the Chairman of the LFF Referees Committee Jānis Mežeckas with a request to evaluate the match referee International Football Federation Association (FIFA) category the work of Judge Vitaly Spashnonikov.
It has already been reported that on Saturday in the 58th minute after Mihaila Gordeičuka’s shot the ball rebounded from the RFS footballer, but 16 minutes before the end of the regular time after the corner kick Žiga Lipuščeks headed the ball into the goal, reaching 1: 1. In its letter, “Liepāja” refers to the “poor quality and biased” refereeing in this game, which affected its result.
Liepāja residents also refer to the May 14 game in Liepāja between the same opponents, when a controversial interpretation of the episode in the 55th minute led to the goal of Emerson Santana Deusleisāns, the guests equalized the result and later won by 2: 1. In Saturday’s game, on the other hand, special attention was paid to the referee’s action in the episode, in which, after Elvis Stuglis’ game with his hand, no 11-meter penalty kick was recorded on the RFS goal.
The letter states that the club has repeatedly suggested that the LFF attract “qualified, including foreign referees and championship central and national cup matches”, but the proposal has failed. In the game, the hosts were awarded six and the RFS footballers three yellow cards. Spasjonikov, together with Andris Treimanis and Aleksandrs Anufrijevs, is one of the three Latvian FIFA judges.
After Saturday’s games in the Premier League, RFS takes the first place with 55 points in 23 dueles. “Valmiera” has 51 points in 23 games, “Riga” team has 46 points in 23 fights and “Liepāja” team has 45 points in 25 games. “Spartaks” follows with 34 points in 25 games, but “Daugavpils” has 29 points in 24 battles. 19 points in 25 matches is “Metta”, but Daugavpils “Noah Jurmala” with three points in 28 matches is in the last place.
Nine teams started the Premier League season, but during the championship, the most titled of the nine teams “Ventspils” first announced their withdrawal, and then – Daugavpils “Noah Jurmala”, which was surrounded by scandals. This year’s Premier League champion is determined in a four-lap tournament.
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