Soccer: World Cup referees hit back at claims of bias

YOKOHAMA - World Cup referees yesterday denied allegations of a conspiracy involving South Korea after a number of controversial decisions helped the co-hosts to reach the cup semifinals.

"We cannot ignore the fact that some other sports have suffered the ignominy of corruption in recent years," said Senes Erzik, the chairman of Fifa's referees committee.

"But football is a sport that does not lend itself to such dishonesty. Anybody who really knows the game, the people involved in it, and the control mechanisms that are in place, knows in their hearts that this is true."

Fifa president Sepp Blatter added: "Any allegations of a conspiracy in favour of Korea Republic are dismissed in their entirety."

Criticism of the refereeing at the World Cup gathered pace after South Korea's quarter-final victory over highly fancied Spain last week.

Spain lost on penalties after two goals were disallowed, one of them an extra-time golden goal.

Italy had a goal disallowed for offside and playmaker Francesco Totti was controversially sent off before they lost 2-1 in extra time in the second round to South Korea.

The Italian television channel RAI is looking at taking legal action against Fifa. Fifa has admitted that major refereeing errors have taken place at the finals.

Italy's Pierluigi Collina, regarded as the best referee in the world, is favourite to officiate in the final.

Collina, 42, has already refereed two matches at the finals, including the highlight clash of the first round which ended in a 1-0 group F win for England over Argentina.

His impressive CV of top matches includes refereeing the 1996 Olympic final won by Nigeria.

England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson summed up his appeal: "Collina, he is a guarantee - I guess he's one of the best, if not the best referee, in the world today."

Dane Kim Milton Nielsen will control tonight's Brazil-Turkey semifinal.

- REUTERS

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