UEFA officials are expected to pronounce shortly on their findings in the enquiry into the incidents which marred Spain's remarkable win over Yugoslavia in Bruges on Wednesday.

Given the current fixation to eliminate, or at least reduce, the physical contact in football, they are likely to be disturbed by the fact that for the third time in as many games, the Yugoslavs finished with only 10 players.

Even more worryingly, UEFA have questions to answer about the lapses in security which enabled two Yugoslav spectators to invade the pitch to confront the referee, Gilles Veissiere, before the French official was felled by a coin as he walked towards the dressing room at the finish. The incident took place directly in front of assembled dignitaries in the stand.

Fortunately Veissiere, who also refereed the Republic of Ireland's controversial playoff in Turkey last October, recovered quickly from what was an unfortunate ending to perhaps the most eventful game in the championship to date.

Yet the ease with which the security cordon was breached in the two earlier incidents, and the fact that a coin could be thrown from such short range in, perhaps, the safest part of the stadium, was a cause of real disquiet.

On the question of the Yugoslav players' recurring conflict with referees, they are headed for further problems unless they clean up their act in Sunday's quarter-final tie against Holland in Rotterdam.

Five more names went into the book on Wednesday before Slavisa Jokanovic risked one borderline tackle too many and was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 63rd minute. Taken in conjunction with the earlier dismissals of Sinisa Mihajlovic and Mateja Kezman, who had been on the pitch less than 90 seconds when he was shown a red card in the game against Norway, it portrayed a disturbing image of their priorities.

For that reason alone, there are those who have mixed feelings about Yugoslavia's advance to the last eight at a time when so much else about this championship is attractive. And the baffling thing is that when the Yugoslavs are not risking the goodwill of referees with cynical professional fouls, they are capable of producing some exciting football.

Technically, they have seldom been far from the top in Europe and the point is being underlined here by the performances of players like Dragan Stojkovic, Ljubinko Drulovic, Mihajlovic and, not least, their leading goalscorer, Savo Milosevic.

With other gifted players in the support cast, it defies logic that they should so often resort to the darker side of their game in situations in which they appear to have all the skills to survive.

Predictably, Vujadin Boskov, their manager, believes Yugoslavia have been hard done by on occasions and feels that their reputation is now preceding them. "It seems at times as if referees are looking only at our players," he said.

"We want to play good football, but too often our opponents do not. Some of the decisions against us have been bad, and it worries us going into the game against Holland."

The balance of general opinion suggests otherwise, and it will be interesting to note how Yugoslavia cope when they take on the Dutch in what is certain to be an intimidating setting for them in Rotterdam.

It is no coincidence, perhaps, that Romania, the other eastern European standard bearers in the quarter finals, have had their share of disciplinary problems. Although less physical than the Yugoslavs, they too have found themselves embroiled in controversy and, for their meeting with Italy tomorrow, must legislate for the absence of three suspended players: Adrian Ilie, Dan Petrescu and Cosmin Contra.

Their difficulties are accentuated by the injury which is expected to keep the excellent Gheorghe Popescu out for a couple of months.

Yet, in the return of Gheorghe Hagi, they will undoubtedly have reason for comfort in the cause of restoring the tarnished image of football in Eastern Europe.