Portugal intend to appeal against the red card handed to playmaker Deco in yesterday's tumultuous second round win over Holland, coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said today.
Speaking to reporters after a short training session, Scolari criticised Russian referee Valentin Ivanov, as well as the Dutch coach Marco van Basten and his players for not abiding by Fifa's fair play regulations.
"We accept that we made some disciplinary mistakes, but we cannot accept in any way the red card for Deco," he said.
"The Portuguese Football Federation, on the basis of the Fifa Fair Play documents, will put in a request to overturn the card for Deco," he added.
Deco received his first yellow card for cutting down Holland's Johnny Heitinga. The Dutchman had kept possession when it should have been returned to Portugal after play had been stopped for an injury to Chelsea's Ricardo Carvalho.
The second yellow was issued when Deco prevented the Dutch from taking a quick free-kick by holding on to the ball after the whistle.
