THE first two rounds of European competition led to a grand total of 12 players being put in the dock. Each was cited on the allegation that he had committed a red card offence missed by the referee.
Ten were found guilty and suspended. In other words, they should all have been sent off at the scene of the crime, not several days later in the relative calm of a disciplinary tribunal.
Now nobody is unreasonable enough to expect the referee to see everything but ten is rather a lot. Referees can call on the eyes and ears of their assistants and the man in the van with a battery of television ...