Football News - Complaints

Italy at Historical Low

As an example of being bad losers, the outbursts of the Italians at their ouster from the World Cup takes some beating. It's as if they were all looking at a different match from the rest of us. In a straw poll of fans from a variety of countries here visiting Japan for the World Cup, the consensus that if the referee of the Italy v Korea match made mistakes. For example, Italian striker Vieri could well have been sent off for violent play.

There is a sense of disbelief at the actions of Perugia, the Serie-A club for whom Korean match-winning goalscorer Ahn Jung-Hwan played. Because he did his best for his country in knocking out the Italians, he has been rewarded by Perugia with a sacking.

Perugia coach Serse Cosmi on South Korean match-winner Ahn Jung-Hwan: "I will ask my president to sack him. I don't want to see him in my team."

Perugia president Luciano Gaucci. "I will never see him play for Perugia again. Ahn will no longer be a Perugia player. I called his agent, I talked with my executives, and we decided that."

Manager Giovanni Trapattoni: "It was obvious from the start which way the wind was blowing. Inability and low attention in the end caused a disaster like this. You can't play a World Cup with incompetent linesmen. I've never experienced such a negative moment in my career. We go out with our heads held high, but with many recriminations. If we talk about who should have won, I'd have to say Italy.”

Francesco Totti: "It was a scandal. The truth is [that the referee] had his mind set against us - this was a desired elimination. By whom? I don't know - there are things greater than I, but the feeling is that they wanted us out."

Reserve goalkeeper Francesco Toldo: "There has been a plot to put Italy out of the World Cup. Tonight's refereeing was ridiculous. The referees had a scientific precision in hitting Italy whenever they could. The Ecuadorian referee's attitude was purposefully provocative tonight from the very beginning."

Alessandro Nesta: "It's unbelievable finding such incompetent referees at a World Cup. They stole four goals from us in four matches. We have been deceived, just like our fans."

Alessandro del Piero: "There have been many mistakes, too many - it hurts a lot."

Fabio Cannavaro: "It is perfectly normal for a referee to make one or two mistakes a game, but we are talking about three games with enormous errors. They have done everything they possibly could to stop us, we feel terrible. It is a disgrace. Episodes like the ones that occurred with the referee tonight are not part of football, they are not part of the sport I love."

Italy World Cup Chief Raffaele Ranucci: "Tonight's refereeing was scandalous. Not only for the penalty incident, but also for the absolutely unfair red card shown to Totti and for so many other incidents that I can't even count. The general conduct of the game was scandalous. It was a dirty trick. Why are referees against Italy? I can say that those who penalised Italy against Croatia and Mexico were the linesmen. But tonight it was the referee who decided in favour of South Korea. South Korea is definitely powerful within the football hierarchy. We have evidence that there is a clear will to help Korea."

Football commentator Bruno Pizzul: "Frankly, that was complete robbery."

Francesco Frattini, Italy's minister for public offences: "The referee was a disgrace, absolutely scandalous. I've never seen a game like it. It seemed as though they just sat around a table and decided to throw us out."

Franco Carraro, president of the Italian football federation: "The whole of world football has had its reputation blemished. Trapattoni and his players did their best. Somebody else didn't. I'm very sorry for the Italian fans and for our players."

Milan daily sports newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport: "Italy leave the World Cup sick with anger. Anger over having wasted a game they were leading against a team that was capable of very little in front of goal. Anger and sadness over leaving the World Cup in the worst possible manner, with the shadow of bad luck that persecuted us from the very first games."

Umberto Leone, director Of Sticker Moguls Panini: "As a sign of protest at the refereeing errors the Italian team was subjected to, we have decided to withdraw the stickers from sale. We took this decision after [the] game which highlighted the biased referees against the Azzurri, behaviour that had also been shown in the previous matches. If there are people who have started their collection who wish to complete it, then they can finish them through our catalogue system.”

The ‘Rai' Italian national TV corporation (the Italian equivalent of the BBC) is planning to sue FIFA for loss of revenue because Italy were knocked out!! (According to Rome Italian daily La Repubblica).

Spain Complain

Spaniards are also up in arms about losing to Korea. They claim that two disallowed 'goals' should have counted.

FIFA's Agenda

The Turkish head of FIFA's referees' committee, Senes Erzik, admitted that mistakes had occurred in the 2002 tournament but he defended the match officials' overall performance.
"There have been one or two mistakes which is a cause of concern but overall the referees have been very well prepared for this World Cup ... and every match is reviewed," Erzik said.
"But referees are only human and mistakes can be made."
For reasons known only to FIFA, and which are adding fuel to the conspiracy theorists' fire, video replays to help referees and their assistants in making decisions are not being considered. FIFA spokesman Keith Cooper said video replays are "not on the agenda at the moment".

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