Day one of the 2012 European Championships kicked off yesterday with a hectic opening game between co-hosts Poland and 2004 winners Greece.
Dubbed the ‘dull group’, the opening fixture turned out to be anything but. There were 2 goals, 2 red cards and a missed penalty all in the tournaments opening 90 minutes.
However it was the Spanish referee Carlos Velasco Carballo who took centre stage. The 41 year-old was entrusted with the opening game by UEFA but it did not go all to plan.
Carballo has steered clear from controversy in recent years and has recently emerged as one of the best and most consistent referees in Spain; however controversy was very much on the agenda yesterday.
Robert Lewandowski headed Poland into the lead after 17 minutes but it was the sending off of Sokratis Papastathopoulos that grabbed the headlines.
Papastatholpous picked up his first yellow card, also the first of the tournament, but replays show that he made a fair aerial challenge for the ball. A free-kick would have been seen as harsh, but to add insult to the awarding of a free-kick the referee produced a yellow card.
The Spanish official then delivered a huge blow to the Greeks when he brandished a second yellow card followed by a red to Papastathopoulos. The defender was stunned and took his time to leave the field, but hopefully UEFA will not deal with this separately.
The defender was judged to have held back striker Obraniak yet he appeared to have already been on his way down as he slipped while trying to escape his marker. Obstruction, or pulling back an opponent, is nowadays always punishable with a yellow card, but if you are not 100% sure then the benefit of the doubt should be with the offender. Or you can go on the belief that not every free-kick needs a yellow card.
Luckily for the Greek defender and the Spanish referee the punishment from UEFA will only be a one match ban.
Carbello, who took charge of the 2011 Europa League final, did get the other big decision right. Poland, and Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny brought down Salpindidis in the area when clean through on goal. The penalty was awarded and the goalkeeper was given his marching orders.
One out of the two decisions were spot-on, but a referee is always remembered for the big decisions he gets wrong, not the ones he gets right.
Carbello should expect to get another game from UEFA in this tournament, his first major international tournament, but I would imagine any dream of refereeing the final will have to wait for four more years.
