5 instances of bad refereeing influencing the outcome of a game

#5 England vs. Portugal, Euro 2004

Six years on from the referee disallowing a Sol Campbell winner in a major tournament, England were once again stung by bad officiating striking off a perfectly legal goal from the Arsenal defender. This time it was in the quarter-finals of Euro 2004, with the Three Lions deadlocked at 1-1 with host country Portugal.

The game was looking likely to head into extra-time when a last-minute free-kick from captain David Beckham was headed against the bar by Michael Owen. A goalmouth scramble ensued and Campbell headed the ball home, only for the referee to disallow the goal, claiming John Terry had impeded Portugal keeper Ricardo. If anything, Terry had impeded Campbell more!

The game went into extra-time; both sides scored again to make it 2-2, and in the ensuing penalty shoot-out, Portugal came out on top following misses by Beckham and Darius Vassell. But as with the Argentina game, it should never have gone that far – and Campbell should’ve been hailed as a conquering hero rather than someone who was twice cheated by bad officiating.