ROME, June 19: An enraged Italian press accused soccer’s ruling body FIFA on Wednesday of orchestrating the exit of their beloved “Azzurri” from the World Cup as anger over the team’s 2-1 defeat by South Korea hit fever pitch.

Italian soccer club Perugia cut their ties with their South Korean player Ahn Jung-hwan for scoring the goal that knocked Italy out of the Cup, while furious politicians demanded answers in parliament over the defeat.

“Outrage,” cried respected sports’ daily La Gazzetta dello Sport in a banner, front-page headline.

“Italy counts for nothing in those places where they decide the results and put together million-dollar deals,” the paper said. “Shame on you gentlemen of FIFA and your dirty games.”

Italy had a man sent off and a goal disallowed for offside — both decisions roundly denounced by the Italian media — before South Korea’s Ahn headed home the golden-goal winner.

Earlier in the tournament, Italy had a further four goals controversially disallowed in three games.

“Italy has been thrown out of a dirty World Cup where referees and linesmen are used as hitmen,” leading broadsheet Corriere della Sera said in front-page editorial.

“No other team in the entire history of the World Cup has suffered so many injustices,” it said.

Italian internationals and officials in South Korea also complained bitterly about their treatment, casting a shadow over the world’s most popular sporting event.

FIFA defended the refereeing at the finals on Wednesday, saying referees were subject to errors like anyone else. “It is always going to happen. The inaccuracies have been kept to a minimum,” said FIFA communications director Keith Cooper.

Italy newspapers lined up to denounce Tuesday’s match referee — Ecuador’s Byron Moreno — calling him “chubby”, “at least 15 kg overweight”, “bug-eyed” and “immature”.

But behind Moreno, most commentators saw the hand of soccer’s ruling body FIFA and its president Sepp Blatter, saying they were determined to ensure that hosts South Korea remained in the competition.

“THIEVES” Italy’s second sports daily Corriere dello Sport said in huge black letters across its front page.

While it recognised that Italy had played badly against the inexperience Korean side, it said the team was defeated by off-the-field manoeuvring.

“We committed so many errors that we deserved to be shot in the chest. Instead we were shot in the back. This isn’t sport. One can accept sporting defeats, with anger and grief, but one cannot accept betrayal,” the paper thundered.

Perugia chairman Luciano Gaucci was the first to turn words of fury into action, telling Gazzetta dello Sport that he was releasing Ahn after two years of underachievement at his club.

“He was a phenomenon only when he played against Italy. I am a nationalist and I regard such behaviour not only as an affront to Italian pride but also an offence to a country which two years ago opened its doors to him,” Gaucci was quoted as saying.

Il Giornale newspaper, which is owned by Berlusconi’s brother, said Tuesday’s game was a dark day for world soccer.

“(Referee) Byron Moreno can wander freely in the corridors of FIFA and those of the Korean government. But if he wants to come to Italy he had better bring a lawyer,” it added.—Reuters