Top of the Euro Pops, day five

Day five of the chart that's as controversial as Howard Webb and as excitable as Slaven Bilic...

1. Tangled Webb

The instinctive comparision is to Graham Poll and his 2006 "three-card trick", but this English referee did not make a mistake, just a gutsy judgment call. Not that it will save him from the wrath of hysterical Poles conveniently forgetting that the only reason their side was (undeservingly) 1-0 up was thanks to an offside goal awarded by the English officials. And that slow-motion replays clearly show the defender attempting to denude the forward. If Webb has ever wondered what it was like to be Urs Meier, circa June 25, 2004 - well, he's about to find out. As a policeman, he's at least got powers of arrest if any Poles try something naughty.

2. Has Been

Leo Beenhakker, the Poland coach, only inflamed the situation, first by marching on to the pitch to rant at Webb at the end - good athleticism for an old bloke, to be fair - then slamming the official in his post-match press conference - even saying that Poland were as good as out. Which is true - not because of Webb, though. Being a mediocre team with a Derby County-like defence has more to do with it.

3. In touchline with his emotions

The legend of Slaven Bilic grows and grows. It's not just the winning, it's the wild celebrations. Being in a rock group, he must be used to headbanging, which might explain it. With the whole Croatia bench getting involved too, goals provoke the sort of orgiastic joy you normally see in the emotionally-incontinent world of American sports. Contrast with the likes of Fabio Capello - those stony coaches who actually seem to look annoyed when their team scores. Plenty of rumours have linked Bilic with a Premier League job but I'm not sure the league is right for him. Technical areas are too small. This is a man who needs to roam free.

4. Jerk Leko

As the man who cheated in France '98 to get Laurent Blanc sent off in the semi-final and thus suspended from the final, justifying his exaggerated reaction to Blanc's aggression by saying "That's part of the game, to react," Bilic is not likely to be upset with Jerko Leko, his defender, who helped the referee's red card out of his pocket yesterday in the win over Germany. As face-clutching writhing goes, it wasn't in the Rivaldo at the 2002 World Cup class (what is, short of really being hit in the face?), but it was more of a low blow than the shove Bastian Schweinsteiger aimed at Leko in frustration at being cynically fouled from behind by him two seconds earlier.

5. Reporter becomes the story

Resourcefulness is an important quality in a journalist, though stupidity is less useful (if not less rare). A German hack covering Euro 2008 who was late for his flight from Verona to Vienna tried to delay the take-off by calling in a bomb threat. He was arrested when he let slip he knew the plane was still on the tarmac when no public announcement had been made. I blame those adverts where people are so passionate about football they'll go to any length to get to the game. Still, if it was Germany-Croatia he was racing to see, he's probably glad he missed it. The mistake the reporter made was not being president of the EU Commission. The Swiss government laid on a private jet for the Portuguese so he could attend both the opening game in Basel and his native land's win over Turkey later that night.

6. Something to chew over

Sob story of the tournament? Not Alexander Frei but the tragic toffee-apple and sugared-almond salespeople of Klagenfurt. Despite the little city being overrun with fans, it seems the Germans and Poles aren't too keen on buying local delicacies, preferring to drive over the border with car boots full of beer and (we assume) sausages. And the natives are staying indoors and leaving the centre to the supporters. So Klagenfurt officials are talking about compensating stallholders for their losses. 

7. Chelsea Phil up

Going clubbing during a tournament? Shouldn't be allowed. Partly because of the international nature of the Barclays Premier League, and also since the absence of home nations leaves the British media in search of stories - and ones about Arda Turan just won't cut it - the amount of club-related speculation at this tournament seems to have reached record levels. And when Chelsea sign up the Portugal coach mid-competition, it's not surprising. But it's a shame - the club game is eroding the significance of international football enough as it is. Perhaps Uefa should introduce a code of practice like the one that exists in Major League Baseball: no significant club announcements during the World Series, because nothing should detract from the highlight of the season.

8. Official verdict

Anyone else see Mr Self-Assurance, Cristiano Ronaldo, give a sneaky look to the linesman after his pass for Portugal's second goal against the Czech Republic, before Ricardo Quaresma had even put it in the net? Can't be too careful about checking what's onside and what isn't these days.

9. Leaving too soon

Being a less than football krazee nation, expect Swiss enthusiasm for the tournament to not just fade but nosedive now that they are out, though being skiing lovers, at least they are used to ending up at the bottom. And though they're going home early, it's not like they've got far to travel. So for the good of the competition, we need Austria to go through. As the most likeable fans, the Dutch and Swedes should be given "atmosphere byes" to the quarter-finals.

10. Celebration time

What was Ronaldo's two-part, all-bizarre celebration about after his goal yesterday? Frankly, if he pulls those sort of wooden moves on the dancefloor, you wonder if all those rumours about his pulling prowess can be true. It looked like he was using his hands repeatedly to push something away. Sir Alex Ferguson, perhaps. Maybe even John Motson's BBC commentary on the goal was an oblique message to the Manchester United manager: "You can't stop him or hold him down, Cristiano Ronaldo is a law unto himself."

Comments

[Piotr Fedurek-Wroclaw Poland]

The referee decision to give a penalty in the last minute of injury time was totally unjustified and unfair (even though Webb has got UEFA backing-so what?professional referee has to 'read' the game!). Lineker made his point saying after the game that had Webb been consistent he should have given a penalty after every corner or any set-piece. How would you like it, my English friends, if 'Webb rule' was applied to Premiere Lague?

The first goal was clearly off side and allowing it had a huge impact on the game-and not only line man is to blame.

[Martin]

I totally agree, there was a lot of situations that would cause referee's reaction, but were missed by Webb, and that final decision was the worst in his career, if not life. God bless him, he'll need that... As for the right to arrest, well, hope he's wearing a gun, because with cuffs and whistle he'll have poor chances... He's got powers... yeah, right..... :))))) Kaiser Chiefs' song might become a hymn - 'We are the angry mob...'

[Luke]

everyone knows that when you call a penalty in the 92 min. it has to be a very clear foul. Players pulling on jerseys is nothing out of the ordinary. Mr. Webb effectively robbed Poland of a victory in such a crucial game. He should be sent home from Euro 2008 cause he's obviously either incompetent, biased or both.

[MICHAEL]

Nothing more left than waiting for same incident against England in next WC 2010 and then remind it to some clearly seeing peoople.

[Nathan]

The decision was unfair. An offside missed so close in the early game is something else, than a penalty shot in the last minute which by the way was also a decision of the same referee.
You cannot try to repair your own mistake by making another. Football is a dirty game it has never been fair and never will be I guess untill there are no referees only computers. By the way (hysterical reactions of Poles? How can anger be hysteria? I see a clear missunderstanding. The polish team might have played badly in the first part of the first half but fterwards they played much better and really earned the winning.

[Tadek]

It is surprising, that the decision of Howard Webb is considered to be right in England, where in the Premiership rather rough football is played. Such an incident, like on the Poland-Austria match, wouldn't even be noticed. One shouldn't give a penalty in the very last minute, after a match, where lots of similar situations took place.