Ahn (white) - ditched by his Italian club (Allsport)

By Jason Hughes, PA International, Yokohama

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FIFA will not intervene after Korean hero Ahn Jung-hwan was sacked by his Italian club Perugia following his golden goal winner against Italy.

Perugia president Luciano Gaucci accused Ahn of making comments "offensive to me and the whole Italian nation" as he explained the Serie A club's decision to axe Korean's golden boy.

FIFA director of communications Keith Cooper said: "Whether he is welcome back in Italy is entirely the business of the club chairman.

"He lives in a democracy where he can say whatever he wants. The relationship between the player and the club is entirely the business of the two parties.

"It has nothing to do with FIFA at this stage."

Gaucci claimed the decision had nothing to do with Ahn putting the Azzurri out of the tournament.

"He could have scored 10 and I wouldn't have felt offended. It was simply the comments he made," he said.

"He stated Korean football was superior to Italian football, when Italy is a footballing nation.

"We have treated him well with all our love, but his comments were offensive to me and to the whole Italian nation."

The controversial Gaucci, a former Roma director, made an immediate decision to sack Ahn who had been playing for the Serie A club on loan from Korean club Pusan Icons.

Ahn's value has soared following his impressive World Cup performances, and he is expected to stay in European club football.

In two seasons with Perugia, he struck five league goals in 30 appearances.

Meanwhile FIFA president Sepp Blatter today fanned the flames of Italy's controversial exit by saying the Azzurri were robbed of a golden goal.

Ecuadorian referee Byron Moreno ruled Damiano Tomassi had been offside in extra-time, preventing the Roma player from scoring after he ran onto a pass from Christian Vieri.

Blatter claimed the Azzurri, who in total had three goals apparently incorrectly 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," Blatter told Italian sports newspaper 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, 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."

However, Moreno himself claimed: "The Azzurri have gone out and it is their own fault. FIFA has congratulated me."

PA International