Ahn Jung-hwan (46), who scored a 'golden goal' in the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup round of 16 match against Italy, recalled, "Korea deserved to win." He said, "I wish Italians would stop hating me."
In an interview with Italian media Gazzetta dello Sports, Ahn Jung-hwan said, "I remember the match in Italy just 20 years ago as if it were yesterday. It was a very special game for me and Korea."
Ahn Jung-hwan emphasized that Korea deserved victory over Italy.
He said, "You can see how we prepared for the game. Hiddink made us a strong team physically and mentally. No one was afraid. We prepared well for Italy. We analyzed every detail of the Italian players. “, he explained.
He also said, "We have always respected the referee's decision. The decision is final and irreversible."
Ahn Jung-hwan, who played for Perugia in Italy during the Korea-Japan World Cup, was kicked out of his team after the winning goal against Italy.
Perugia's owner, Luciano Gauci, criticized Ahn Jung-hwan for ruining Italian football at the World Cup and announced that he would not renew his contract. I gave an explanation that it happened, but
Ahn Jung-hwan said, "I beg the Italians. Please don't hate me anymore." "As a Korean player, I played for my country. I didn't want to hurt anyone. I had a good time in Italy and worked harder than anyone else. . In the match against Italy, I wanted to repay the fans' trust with a goal."
On June 18, 2002, the Korean national football team won the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup Round of 16 at the Daejeon World Cup Stadium, winning a dramatic 2-1 victory over Italy in overtime.
Korea lost a golden opportunity in the first half due to Ahn Jung-hwan's miss of a penalty kick in the first half, and was taken 0-1, but Seol Ki-hyeon's equalizer in the second half followed Ahn Jung-hwan's golden goal in the 12th minute of extra time to overturn the game and advance to the quarterfinals.
(Photo = Yonhap News)