wrestling in the penalty area at set-pieces. The plague may not be as virulent at the tournament as it is in the Premiership but it is more than sufficiently prevalent to be an ugly blemish. In just about every match the referee seems willing to ignore illegal jostling and prolonged grappling at
corners and free kicks. Guilt has been widely spread among the teams, although the Greek defenders have appeared to be particularly eager offenders, sometimes locking opponents in embraces which might have prompted sexual molestation charges. Professional wrestling has the decency to see itself as a parody. Football isn’t entitled to be taken seriously when the grapplers go to work.