Swiss ref defends Campbell 'goal' decision

Referee Urs Meier insists he was right to rule out Sol Campbell’s late goal for England against Portugal in the Euro 2004 quarter-finals.

The Arsenal defender headed home from a yard out in injury time but as the players prepared to celebrate a last-gasp 2-1 win, the Swiss official blew for a foul by John Terry on goalkeeper Ricardo.

Meier, who also officiated when England went out of Euro 2000 to Romania, said: “It was a clear foul. The keeper was in his own goal area and must be protected.

“If the same thing happened again then I would do exactly the same. England are looking for a scapegoat and they are looking to blame me.”

Meier suggested that putting an arm across the goalkeeper, as Terry appeared to, may be acceptable in the domestic game but not at international level.

“England should remember that we are at Euro 2004 and not playing in the English Premier League,” he added. “What is allowed there is not allowed here. There are different rules here and I applied them.”