'There are five referees on the pitch and the ball is 50cm behind the goalline. Why do we need five officials?' he said.

'They don't spot (Andy) Carroll's elbow, either? Or that (John) Terry fouls one of my players in the back?

'(Pierluigi) Collina told us that every movement with an elbow is a card, and every foul from behind is a yellow card. And yet where was that today?

'You write what you want - you've seen it. I don't want to criticise the referee.'

Blokhin said he felt England's quarter-final with Italy in Kiev on Sunday was '50-50'.

'If they play against Spain, it would have been much harder for them,' he said.

'This is not the same Italy that won the World Cup (in 2006), so let's see how it goes.'

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