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A new red card record! Man will there need to be changes made.

NUREMBERG, June 25 (Reuters) - FIFA President Sepp Blatter said the referee could have been yellow-carded himself after sending off four players and handing out bookings to eight others in Portugal's World Cup 1-0 win over the Netherlands.

Each team finished with nine men after Russian referee Valentin Ivanov took centre stage in Sunday's second-round match, creating a World Cup finals record for red cards in one match.

'I consider that today the referee was not at the same level as the participants, the players. There could have been a yellow card for the referee,' Blatter told Portugal's SIC television channel.

By the time it ended, under-pressure Russian referee Valentin Ivanov had produced an incredible 16 yellow cards - equalling the all-time tournament record - plus four reds and been forced to intervene in countless minor skirmishes which did little to foster the spirit of friendship FIFA are so keen to promote.