YOKOHAMA, Japan, June 25: World Cup referees denied allegations of a conspiracy involving South Korea on Tuesday after a number of controversial decisions helped the co-hosts reach the 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 the Referees Committee of world governing body FIFA.

“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.”

In a statement FIFA president Sepp Blatter added: “Any allegations of a conspiracy in favour of Korea Republic are dismissed in their entirety.”

The Koreans meet Germany in the first semifinal in Seoul later on Tuesday.—Reuters