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Today, in 1973 the USSR boycotted a FIFA World Cup qualification play-off match against Chile in a Santiago stadium used as a concentration camp by the fascist dictator Augusto Pinochet.

Here's one of the darkest chapters in FIFA's bloody history.

The 1970s was an era filled with trauma in Chile, following the US-backed overthrow of democratically elected Marxist president Salvador Allende by fascist general Augusto Pinochet in 1973.

Later that year, Chile and the Soviet Union faced each other in a qualification play-off for a place at the 1974 World Cup in West Germany.

FIFA had no qualms about holding the second leg of the tie at the Estadio Nacional in Santiago where thousands of socialists and "undesirables" had been tortured and killed following the coup.

The Soviet Football Association upholding its anti-fascist principles, protested FIFA's decision to hold the match in the National Stadium which they described as "an arena of execution and torture".

However, FIFA dug in and refused to change the venue.

With FIFA continuing to insist that the game would go ahead in the stadium, the Soviet team boycotted the match.

FIFA refused to acknowledge the Soviet's decision and allowed the match to go ahead, letting the Chilean team start the match with no opposition.

Just days before the match, political prisoners were removed from the stadium and the blood-soaked field was cleaned.

Then, on 21 November 1973, one of the strangest football matches in history took place in Santiago: it ended shortly after kick-off and Chile was given an automatic victory.

Chile played their first match at the 1974 World Cup against West Germany in Berlin's Olympic Stadium.

During the match protesters occupied the stadium and painted "Chile sí ,Junta no" on the pitch, which was broadcast live around the world.

#USSR #SovietUnion #ColdWar #FootballHistory