Sampdoria Star Antonio Cassano: I'd Like To Play With Francesco Totti Again
Cassano 'dreams' of reuniting with Francesco Totti, if only for one match.
By Adam Scime
Sep 14, 2010 5:37:00 PM
Sampdoria striker Antonio Cassano has claimed it's his dream to play alongside Roma captain Francesco Totti again during his career.
The 28-year-old spent four years playing with the Giallorossi star at the Stadio Olimpico from 2001 to 2005, but their relationship became strained as the player left for Real Madrid.
However, they seem to have put their differences behind them and Cassano would like to reunite with his former team-mate in any capacity.
"My dream, I've said with the national team, although I don't want to put [Italy coach Cesare] Prandelli in difficulty, is to play with 'Er Pupo' - Francesco Totti," he said during an interview on the program Le Iene.
"I would love it, even in a charity match, because we have been so good on the field and I enjoyed a lot of the fantastic things we did together."
Cassano has two goals this season in Serie A after two matches and was in good form during Italy's recent European qualifying wins over Estonia and Faroe Islands.
Totti retired from international football following the Azzurri's victorious 2006 World Cup campaign.
Infamous South Korea-Italy World Cup 2002 Referee Byron Moreno Arrested For Heroin Possession - ReportItaly's nemesis from 2002 has been arrested for allegedly possessing six kilograms of heroin whilst at John F. Kennedy airport...By Rick D'AndreaSep 21, 2010 11:00:00 PM
Controversial former referee Byron Moreno, who was at the centre of the 2002 World Cup refereeing scandal, has been arrested at John F. Kennedy airport, New York, for allegedly being in possession of six kilograms of heroin.
Moreno had the drug concealed in his underwear as he passed through security, according to Cre.com.ec and Rainews.
The Ecuadorian is best remembered for refereeing the infamous second round game at the 2002 World Cup between co-hosts South Korea and Italy.
The 2002 competition has gone down in infamy due to the huge number of refereeing mistakes that helped eliminate a string of top nations, and also ensured that Korea made it all the way to the semi-finals.
During their final two group games against Croatia and Mexico, Italy had four perfectly good goals disallowed, but somehow managed to scrape through to the second round where they met South Korea. Against Guus Hiddink’s men, Moreno chalked off another valid Italy goal, a golden goal from Damiano Tommasi which would have taken them to the next round. Francesco Totti was sent off for diving when replays suggested he had lost his footing, while the Koreans - who repeatedly went unpunished for apparent foul play - were awarded a controversial penalty for a Christian Panucci tugging offence. Italy eventually lost after Ahn Jung-Hwan’s golden winner, but the match and Moreno represent a black mark in Italian sport.
Moreno would later that year receive a 20 match ban after he played an extra 13 minutes of stoppage time during an Ecuadorean league match between Deportiva Universita de Quito and Barcelona Sporting Club. During this time Deportiva scored twice to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 victory. After retuning from his suspension, Moreno was suspended again after controversially sending off three players in one match. He retired from officiating shortly after.
Today's events will undoubtedly hit the headlines all over Italy.
Yes, that Byron Moreno; the man who earned infamy across the globe with some rather suspicious decisions during the Italy v South Korea World Cup Round of 16 game in 2002. Safe to say he’s not exactly beloved in Italy, even if the next try went rather well.
Suspended a number of times for incompetence and now removed from the game, he’s hit the headlines once again: for trying to smuggle 6 kilos of heroin into the US.
This could add another theory or two to the running list of what, or who, was behind that game. Maybe he was just high? Or maybe he was involved with drug cartels and the game was, as so many have accused, fixed.
At the very least, we do know one thing: the man’s decision making skills aren’t really in question – they’re just really, really poor across the board. From adding 13′ extra time onto a league match to attempting to walk through JFK Airport security with 6 kilos of heroin strapped to his body, the man’s brain simply doesn’t seem to function.
Sounds like the tagline for FIFA’s referees.
发表于 15-9-2010 01:24 AM
Yes, that Byron Moreno; the man who earned infamy across the globe with some 
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