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| Wednesday, June 19, 2002 09:23 EST |
Angry Italian club owner cuts Ahn
[ESPN.com news services]
ROME -- Italian soccer club Perugia has cut ties with South Korea's Ahn Jung-hwan after he scored the overtime goal that knocked Italy out of the World Cup, Perugia's chairman said in media reports Wednesday.
"That gentleman will never set foot in Perugia again," Luciano Gaucci told sports' daily La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Italy has been furious about Tuesday's 2-1 loss to South Korea, accusing the referee and soccer's ruling body FIFA of fixing the match.
Back home, the Italian media were livid.
"Thieves -- the killer referee hounds the Azzurri out of the
World Cup," the Rome-daily Corriere dello Sport said on its
front-page.
"Shame! The scandalous Ecuadorean referee -- Italy is out of the
World Cup," said the country's top-selling sports daily, Milan's
La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Ahn, who missed a penalty earlier in the match, was hailed as a national hero when he headed home the golden goal winner in the 116th minute.
But his goal was viewed in a different light at Perugia in central Italy, where he has been viewed as an underachiever during his stay with the club.
"He was a phenomenon only when he played against Italy. I am a nationalist and I regard such behavior not only as an affront to Italian pride but also an offense to a country which two years ago opened its doors to him," Gaucci was quoted as saying.
"I have no intention of paying a salary to someone who has ruined Italian soccer."
Ahn joined Perugia on loan from the South Korean team Pusan I.cons in the summer of 2000. He scored five goals in 29 appearances.
A Perugia spokesman said Wednesday the club had virtually decided to release Ahn even before the World Cup tie.
Information from Reuters and The Associated Press was used in this report.
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