Assistant referee who failed to notice Maradona's infamous goal dies - PHOTO - VIDEO

Baku. 2 June. REPORT.AZ/ Bulgarian Bogdan Dochev, the assistant referee who failed to notice Diego Maradona's infamous 'Hand of God' goal during the 1986 World Cup match between Argentina and England, has died at 80, Report informs.

In the pulsating quarter-final won 2-1 by Argentina, Maradona produced two of the most talked about goals in the history of football. After hoodwinking officials with his first handball effort at 51th minute, he dribbled past five England players in a brilliant solo effort. At post match press conference, he told that he scored the first goal partially by head, partially by ‘Hand of God’.

Dochev told that he didn’t like to talk about ‘Hand of God’, that he was clean despite all rumors: “This episode ruined my life. People accuse me. However, I wasn’t guilty”.

Notably, Bogdan Dochev was a referee during 1970-1986. He had to end his career after that incident with Diego Maradona.