Soccer: Ref's drugs bust confirms suspicions, say Italy Infamous 2002 World Cup official Moreno arrested with heroin

(ANSA) - Rome, September 22 - The drugs arrest of the Ecuadorian referee who oversaw the Azzurri's controversial exit from the 2002 World Cup has confirmed Italian suspicions about his impartiality, the national soccer federation said Wednesday.Byron Moreno has been charged with drugs smuggling in the United States after police in New York said they caught him with around six kilos of heroin strapped to his body at Kennedy airport.Moreno enraged Italy in 2002 with his handling of the national team's 2-1 defeat in the first knockout round of the finals at the hands of co-hosts South Korea.He awarded the Koreans a penalty in the opening minutes, disallowed a valid Italian goal and harshly sent off forward Francesco Totti for simulation, prompting talk of a conspiracy to have the Azzurri eliminated. ''It's confirmation that Moreno was not particularly suited to the role of guarantor,'' federation chief Giancarlo Abete.''It would be a bit much to link the two episodes after eight years, but it seems to me that this latest episode certifies that Moreno's refereeing career was not spotless''.Moreno was suspended for 20 games in 2003 shortly before he retired from football after a match in which Moreno added on 12 minutes of extra time, in which the home team scored twice and turned defeat into victory.Italy goalkeeper Buffon quipped that Moreno had the drugs inside his body, not outside it, when he was officiating at the World Cup.''We had suspicions at the time, seeing how he treated us, the expression on his face was emblematic of the person he was,'' former Italy international Angelo Di Livio told Sky TV Wednesday.''Everyone knows how that match went. He's a person who doesn't deserve respect''.photo: Byron Moreno with Christian Vieri and Angelo Di Livio during the South Korea-Italy match at the 2002 World Cup.