Referee Byron Moreno (53), who was in charge of Korea and Italy in the round of 16 of the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, returned to the ground.
21 years ago, Moreno is a person who remains as a ‘good memory’ in Korea and a ‘bad memory’ in Italy. In the second half of extra time with the score 1-1, Francesco Totti took out a red card. Korea Republic, which had a numerical advantage, achieved a dramatic 2-1 victory with Ahn Jung-hwan’s golden goal and advanced to the quarterfinals. Moreno enjoyed sensational popularity enough to appear as a parody of a Korean TV commercial at the time. 먹튀검증
Italy has left a legacy behind Moreno. Even now, they describe it as a ‘scandal between referee Moreno and Korea’ and insist that Totti’s sending off was a mistake and that Damiano Tomasi’s goal was not offside.
In response, Moreno said in an interview with ‘Futbol Sin Cassette’, “Even if I made the wrong decision at the time, I have nothing to apologize for.”
Of course, Moreno has been living a rough life so far, having been suspended by FIFA for suspicion of refereeing in his native Ecuador, and convicted of drug trafficking in 2010. However, he has recently returned to the ground with his full heart.
On the 28th, Italian media set said, “Moreno has returned to the ground. He blew the whistle at an amateur tournament in Guayaquil, Ecuador.”
According to the media, Moreno sparked a topic again. The 53-year-old was the victim of an assault on the pitch. After the match, a player from the losing team suddenly jumped up and pushed referee Romeno down with both hands. He stumbled and fell. Afterwards, the players were seen running to appease him.
It is not clear why the player assaulted Moreno. But there is no excuse. It was sniped that the name of Moreno, who had become famous around the world after Azurri Italia lost in Korea, was once again in the spotlight.