Azzurri Debate: Another Korea 2002 For Italy?
Italy’s Euro 2008 destiny is out of their own hands mainly due to a set of catastrophic refereeing decisions. Philippe Lambourde asks if we are seeing a repeat of the controversies from the 2002 World Cup in Japan and Korea…
»Comments (65) Print This Story Send To A Friend Contact Us galleria zoom Before I start what is sure to be the most heated Euro 2008 debate so far, I would like to clearly point out that I am a Frenchman, and so for quite obvious reasons I am far from being the greatest sympathiser towards the Italian nation.
Despite this it is simply impossible to write a piece on Italy’s Euro 2008 journey so far without coming to the conclusion that they have been crucified by the refereeing officials. Three simply massive decisions have incorrectly gone against the Azzurri during their two games. The first of course was the Ruud Van Nistelrooy opener for Holland on Monday night. Even if you implement the ridiculous new Fifa offside law about players off the pitch still being active, the goal should still have been disallowed. The ruling states that a player has to voluntarily leave the pitch for him to still be active. If you watch the replay you will see that Christian Panucci was bulldozed into touch by Gianluigi Buffon. Is that voluntary or involuntary I ask you?
Onto the Romania game yesterday, and another two huge decisions went against the Italians, the first of which probably cost them the three points. Luca Toni headed home at 0-0 in first half injury time, but was flagged offside, even though replays show that he was two yards behind the last defender. These are not millimetres we are talking about, a mistake such as this is unforgivable, and I don’t blame the cynical Italians who say that it could not have come as a result of human error. If things couldn’t get any worse, with 10 minutes remaining the referee then appallingly awards a penalty against Christian Panucci for a supposed shirt tug on Nicolae Dica. As a furious Luca Toni, who himself was denied a fair few decent penalty shouts, correctly pointed out after the game, “If that was a penalty, then we and every other team should have five per match.”
Buffon’s save from Adrian Mutu’s spot-kick meant that this decision was academic; however it certainly doesn’t prevent many Italians from drawing inevitable links between these Euros and the scandalous 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan.
For those of you who need reminding, Italy were eliminated in the second round in 2002 after probably the worst set of refereeing decisions ever to go against a team during the history of the World Cup. During their final two group games against Croatia and Mexico, Giovanni Trapattoni’s men had four perfectly good goals disallowed, but somehow managed to scrape through to the second round where they met South Korea. Against the hosts, Italy again had a valid goal chalked off, a golden goal from Damiano Tomassi which would have taken them to the next round. Francesco Totti was sent off for diving when replays showed he had lost his footing, while the Koreans were awarded a controversial penalty for a Christian Panucci tugging offence. Sound familiar? Italy eventually lost after Ahn Jung-Hwan’s golden winner, but the match and Ecuadorian referee Byron Moreno (pictured above) have gone down in Italian football infamy.
As a side-topic on Moreno, the official would later that year receive a 20 match ban after he played an extra 13 minutes of stoppage time during a match between Deportiva Universita de Quito and Barcelona Sporting Club. During this time Deportiva scored twice to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 victory. After retuning from his suspension, Moreno was suspended again after controversially sending off three players in one match. He retired from officiating shortly after.
Back to the 2002 World Cup itself. The Italian nation cried that there had been a conspiracy against them, and they were soon joined by the Spanish, who in the very next game against Korea had two perfectly good goals disallowed as they were eliminated on penalties.
The conspiracy theory was that 1) there was a plot to throw Italy out of the World Cup, and 2) there was a plot to try and get South Korea as far as possible. The hosts also had some dubious calls go their way in their final group game, which saw Portugal eliminated.
Many people in Italy and Spain refuse to recognise the legality of the 2002 World Cup. Whether this should be viewed as bitterness or due to the fact that the tournament became something of a farce due to the ridiculous amount of ‘errors’, this is up for each individual to decide.
What is clear is that many Italians are starting to draw links between the 2002 World Cup and the 2008 European Championships. While Italy have clearly not played to their potential in Austria and Switzerland, and would surely have lost to Holland anyway regardless of the Van Nistelrooy opener, they would in all probability be sitting on three points had it not been for the dreadful Toni offside decision in the Romania game.
This would mean that they would have their destiny in their own hands for the match against France. It would also mean that Les Bleus would have controlled their future too. As it happens now a Romania win against an already qualified Holland will eliminate both World Cup finalists.
In tournaments it is often one goal that decides games so a bad referee can have a big influence in a team going home. Those of you who point to the slightly fortuitous penalty that Fabio Grosso received against Australia in the last World Cup should rewind the tape of that match 35 minutes and review the ridiculous sending off of Marco Materazzi before declaring, as some have, that “what goes around, comes around.”
What are your views on this topic? Is Euro 2008 another Korea 2002 for Italy? Have they been heavily penalised by the referees? Or are they hiding behind the referees as an excuse? Goal.com wants to know what YOU think
http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=736084კაი სტატიააა იტალიაზე და მსაჯებზე 2002 და 2008 წლების შედარება პრინციპში ბევრ რამეში ძნელია არ დაეთანხმო.... სამწუხაროდ....
აი კიდევ ერთი მაგალითიც....
უეფამ მოუწოდა ჰოლანდიას მეორე შემადგენლობის დაყენებისკენ ყვითლებს აიცილებთ თავიდანო... მემგონი ესენი თავიდანვე რუმინეთის მხარეს იყვნენ რომ თქვან სიკვდილის ჯგუფი არ ყოფილა ნახეთ რა გუნდები გავიდნენო....
UEFA encourage Dutch defeat Saturday 14 June, 2008
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UEFA spokesman William Gaillard has given Holland the go-ahead to field a second string side against Romania.
The Italian and French media are already concerned that the already qualified Dutch will not put in the effort to stop Romania from reaching the quarter-finals.
"That they could field substitutes or reserve players makes sense," said the UEFA director of communications.
"Players might be on yellow cards or want to avoid injuries and it gives other players a chance to prove themselves. There is nothing against the rules in doing that.
"They have 23 players and it is a way to rotate. It is a fact of life."
If Romania beat Holland, then Adrian Mutu’s side will go through regardless of the other result in Group C, knocking both 2006 World Cup Finalists out of the competition.
Any hope the Italian Federation had of pressuring UEFA and Holland to ensure fair play will fall on deaf ears.
"France and Italy in other competitions may have found themselves in that situation, teams start the group hoping that the third game is for nothing.
"In 2004, Czech Republic played Germany with a second string and they won, very often you see this."
ეეე ჩვენ დებილ ბიჭს კი მაინც სჯერა სპორტული სოლიდარობის
Don trusts honest Holland Saturday 14 June, 2008
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Roberto Donadoni has confidence Holland will be “fair and honest” in the potentially decisive encounter with Romania.
While UEFA have stated it’s “normal” for the Dutch to field a second string side that could lose to Romania – a result that would eliminate both Italy and France – the Azzurri boss remains hopeful.
“I think of fairness and honesty, not the usual debates people have which are no good to anyone,” said the Coach.
It is logical for Donadoni to have faith in Marco Van Basten, his former Milan teammate and golfing buddy.
He also defended referee Tom Henning Ovrebo despite disallowing a valid Luca Toni goal.
“Enough of this kind of implication. Clearly yesterday was not a good day for the referee, but these are things that happen, just as they do to me or my players.”
In order to qualify the Azzurri must also get a result against France – a victory or possibly as little as a score draw if Holland win.
“I believe in honesty and sport. The rest doesn’t count for me and we have to focus only on ourselves.
“We have the opportunity to beat Les Bleus and will fight all the way to the end.”
Following the 1-1 draw with Romania, Donadoni held a meeting with the squad and took control of the training session that lasted 70 minutes.
Those who started in Zurich yesterday did not take part in the game between ranks. Antonio Di Natale was the star with six goals, Antonio Cassano, Marco Borriello and Fabio Quagliarella following on three.
In a curious result, Gennaro Gattuso snatched a hat-trick, including a spectacular overhead kick.
This post has been edited by levan666 on 14 Jun 2008, 17:21 Never argue with an idiot, they drag you down to their level and beat you with experience
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