FIFA chief backs Italian complaints. (Allsport).
BLATTER - ITALY SHOULD HAVE WON
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FIFA president Sepp Blatter has fanned the
flames of Italy's controversial World Cup exit by saying the Azzurri were robbed
of a golden goal.
Ecuadorian referee Byron Moreno ruled that Damiano Tomassi had been offside in
extra time, preventing the Roma player from scoring after he ran onto a pass
from Christian Vieri.
Korea ended up scoring a golden goal themselves and claiming a 2-1 triumph to
eliminate the Italians.
And Blatter admitted that the Azzurri who had three goals wrongly ruled out
for offside in the group stage had been unfairly treated.
"The referees in the World Cup have been inadequate, the circumstances have
made the mistakes to be concentrated on one team, Italy," said Blatter, whose
astonishing admission is in today's Gazzetta dello Sport.
"Tommasi's action was legal and Italy would have scored the golden goal."
Blatter is also quoted as saying that Francesco Totti, who received a second
yellow card from Moreno when he went down in the box - Moreno thought the player
had dived - should not have been booked a second time and thus sent off.
Video replay suggests there was contact between the Roma star and a Korean
opponent.
"Regarding Totti it was not a penalty nor a simulation," he said.
"Now we have to try and change the system of designate referees."
The newspaper also quotes Moreno.
"The Azzurri have gone out and it is their own fault," Moreno said.
"FIFA has congratulated me."
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