Greece were victimized by referees: Karagounis

Warsaw: Greece's qualification for the Euro 2012 quarter-finals is a triumph because the team has constantly been victimized by referees, captain Giorgos Karagounis said.

The Greeks felt they were denied a clear penalty in the 1-0 win over Russia that secured a place in the knockout stages, as Karagounis was tripped by Russia defender Sergei Ignashevich but given a yellow card for diving.

“All referee calls were against our team," he said of the group stage, adding that the hostile refereeing had such an effect that simply qualifying for the quarter-finals was comparable to winning Euro 2004.

"Our team could have had, let's say, seven points. We have had two proper goals that were not accepted."

Karagounis' booking means that he cannot play in the quarter-final.

"This is not fair, both for me because I will not be able to participate in the next match, and in general," said the captain.

Greece's potential opponents in the next round are Germany, Portugal and Denmark.