Byron Moreno admits making mistakes in 2002 South Korea vs. Italy World Cup match
Byron Moreno, probably the last name soccer fans want to hear, especially Italian soccer fans who watched the 2002 FIFA World Cup, has gone viral on the Internet again.
Recently, the 49-year-old Ecuadorian former referee admitted that he made mistakes in the game between South Korea and Italy during the 2002 World Cup.
In the preview of Sky Sports' Futbol Sin Cassette program, Moreno said there were a lot of incorrect judgments in the game and one of them was the call on South Korea's Hwang Sun-hong, who received a yellow card for foul slide tackle that led Italy's Gianluca Zambrotta to quit the game. Moreno agreed that it should have been a red card instead.
So far this is the only mistake the Ecuadorian has confessed to in the preview. More details are expected when the entire program is aired in a few days.
Referee Byron Moreno (R) shows red card to Francesco Totti of Italy (C) to send him out of the Round of 16 game between Italy and South Korea at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, June 18, 2002. /VCG Photo
Back in the Round of 16 game between South Korea and Italy, there were way more controversial calls than what Moreno has admitted. He kept ignoring South Korean players' rough, dangerous moves including the jump-kick against Gennaro Gattuso, the trampling on Paolo Maldini's face, the elbow on Del Piero's face and the attack on Francesco Coco that led to serious bleeding.
It got worse, after Francesco Totti was taken down by South Korean players, Moreno showed Totti a red card to send him off the field. Moreover, when Damiano Tommasi scored the game-winning golden goal in the extra time, it was disallowed by Moreno who decided it was offside.
In the end, Italy lost the game 2-1 after Ahn Jung-hwan scored in the 117th minute.
Referee Gamal Al-Ghandour (R) talks to Fernando Hierro of Spain in the quarterfinals between Spain and South Korea at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, June 21, 2002. /VCG Photo
Spain became the next victim of the controversial referring calls in the quarterfinals against South Korea. Besides allowing South Korea to turn the game into a one-sided "combating" contest, referee Gamal Al-Ghandour first disallowed two goals by Spain in regular time and later when South Korea's Kim Tae-young had an own goal, the Egyptian referee again disallowed by calling fouls on Spanish players.
In the extra time, Ghandour continued his shocking performance. First he disallowed the golden ball by Fernando Morientes, then in the 119th minute, before Spain's final corner kick, Ghandour whistled the end of the game.
In the end, Spain lost the game 5-3 in penalty shootout.