DONETSK: Furious Ukraine coach Oleg Blokhin offered to "step outside" with a journalist in an extraordinary post-match bust-up following his team's defeat to England on Tuesday.
The football legend lost his cool with a Ukrainian journalist after a refereeing blunder cost his team a goal as England eliminated the co-hosts with a 1-0 win at the Donbass Arena.
When questioned by the journalist about the physical condition of the Ukrainian team the burly former Ballon d'Or winning international striker snapped: "Respect my job. Lets' go this one-on-one. You want to go with me? Let's have a 'man conversation'."
When the journalist involved in the exchange stood up a UEFA moderator stepped in to defuse the spat but Blokhin was undeterred. "You should respect that I played football? Did you play football? Respect my job and me. I won't allow anyone to criticise my team. If you're a man, go with me. One on one."
Blokhin, meanwhile, was scathing of the second half goal-mouth controversy which denied his team an equaliser, questioning how the referees assistant stationed behind the goal could have failed to spot Marko Devic's effort cross the line.
"There are five referees on the pitch and the ball is 50 centimetres behind the goal-line. Why do we need five officials?" Blokhin said.
He also claimed England defender John Terry and substitute Andy Carroll had both been guilty of fouls that should have been received yellow cards.
"They don't spot Carroll's elbow, either? Or that Terry fouls one of my players in the back? (Referees chief 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." AFP
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