Hiddink Criticizes Italy Over 2002 Referee Controversy: "Act Like Gentlemen When You Lose"

Referee Controversy of the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup Rekindled
Hiddink: "You Should Not Blame the Referee"

Guus Hiddink, the former head coach of the South Korean national soccer team who led South Korea to its historic semifinal run at the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, has publicly criticized Italy for continuing to blame refereeing decisions even after 24 years. He pointed out that the Italian team, despite boasting a roster full of global stars at that time, should not place all responsibility for their loss solely on the referee.

On September 9, Italian football media outlets such as 'Gianluca Di Marzio.com' reported that Hiddink, in a recent interview, shared his thoughts on the ongoing controversy over refereeing decisions during the Round of 16 match between South Korea and Italy at the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup.

Guus Hiddink, former head coach of the South Korean national soccer team. The Asia Business Daily DB

South Korea defeated Italy 2-1 in the Round of 16 match held at Daejeon World Cup Stadium on June 18, 2002. Christian Vieri scored the opening goal in the 18th minute of the first half, but Seol Ki-hyun equalized in the 43rd minute of the second half, and in extra time, Ahn Jung-hwan scored a golden goal header, sending South Korea to the quarterfinals. At the time, the Italian team featured legendary players representing world football, including Gianluigi Buffon, Paolo Maldini, Francesco Totti, Alessandro Del Piero, and Christian Vieri.

However, ever since Italy’s defeat, debate has continued in Italy regarding the officiating by Ecuadorian referee Byron Moreno. Italian media and fans have especially pointed to the moment in extra time when Totti was shown a second yellow card for simulation and sent off, as well as when Damiano Tommasi’s goal was ruled offside and disallowed, as controversial incidents.

This topic was brought up once again by the Italian side during the recent interview. When the interviewer jokingly asked if Byron Moreno might have been wearing a South Korea jersey under his referee outfit, Hiddink made it clear he was displeased. He responded, "I don't like that kind of question. It reveals a biased point of view." He pointed out, "By that logic, Vieri used his elbow in the first half and should have been cautioned. Moreno did not see that either." He added, "It is always easy to blame the referee."

South Korea defeated Italy 2-1 in the Round of 16 match held at Daejeon World Cup Stadium on June 18, 2002. Although Christian Vieri scored the opening goal in the 18th minute of the first half, Seol Ki-hyun scored the equalizer in the 43rd minute of the second half, and in extra time, Ahn Jung-hwan scored a golden goal header, securing South Korea's advancement to the quarterfinals. Korea Football Association

Hiddink emphasized that Italy’s defeat should be attributed elsewhere, given the strength of their squad at the time. He said, "Italy had an incredible team back then," citing Maldini, Totti, Buffon, and Vieri, and added, "With such great players, they should have dominated South Korea." He continued, "South Korea was confident and played at a high tempo. Italy did not expect our strong resistance," and reiterated, "Italy should have won easily, but they did not." Hiddink concluded, "Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose in football. When you lose, you need to act like a gentleman."

When asked if Ahn Jung-hwan had 'betrayed' Italian football, which had been instrumental to his career, by scoring the golden goal, Hiddink replied, "Should I have told him not to play? Should he have refused to score?" He added, "He played for South Korea. Because he is Korean," and emphasized, "Are you saying he should have scored against our own goal? This is sport." Near the end of the interview, Hiddink again addressed Italy: "A very long time has passed, and Italy did not win that match. With so many stars like Maldini, Totti, and Vieri, they should have won within 90 minutes. Complaining after the match is not the answer."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.