On the 18th June 2002 a 26-year-old South Korean committed an act that would instantly put him out of work.
That man was Ahn Jung-hwan who – in the 117th minute of a World Cup Round of 16 knock out game against Italy scored the golden goal that would ensure his legendary status in his home nation for eternity.
Of course the great irony was that Ahn had been playing his football for the past two seasons in Italy with Perugia.
The next day, Perugia owner Luciano Gaucci cancelled his contract and was quoted as saying, "I have no intention of paying a salary to someone who has ruined Italian football."
It wasn’t the first time Korea had brought the great footballing nation of Italy to its knees.
As the aeroplane doors opened in the early hours of the morning on the tarmac at Genoa airport on 22 July 1966 the players were greeted with endless amounts of rotten fruit. Three days earlier they lost 1-0 to North Korea at Ayresome Park – crashing out of the World Cup in the process.
As well as pushing the team’s return flight back to the most antisocial hour possible, officials refused to disclose which city they would land into. Somehow, the fans still found out. Hundreds were waiting in Genoa, armed with enough rotten fruit to go around. Players were chased out of the airport and had their team bus pursued for several miles down the road.
Thirty-six years later everybody expected a strong Italy side boasting the likes of Cannavaro, Maldini, Del Piero, Vieri and Totti to easily beat South Korea. Given Italy had started the group stages slowly – and like all great sides would likely get better as the tournament progressed – it was expected they would put the plucky hosts in their place.
But Gus Hiddink had other ideas. Lining his team up in a 3-4-3, Hiddink had his attackers press Italy’s defenders relentlessly, while his midfield shuttled the ball out to the flanks at every opportunity, launching continuous assaults. It wouldn’t take long for the impact to tell.
In the fourth minute Christian Panucci pulled down Seol Ki-hyeon in the box. Ahn had waited for this moment. But the pressure told as Buffon easily saved.
Worse was to come as Vieri powered home a header mid-way through the first-half, putting his finger to his lips which further incensed the partisan home crowd.
The rest of the game saw Italy retreat into ‘park the bus’ mode, confident they could repel the endless waves of South Korea attacks. But it would prove their undoing as – in the 88th minute- Panucci once again faltered, stumbling in the box, allowing Anderlecht striker Ki-hyeon to steer home the equaliser.
Extra time beckoned with the infamous golden goal rule coming into effect.
Italy had the better of it but Totti was given a second yellow for simulation after tumbling in the box and then, with midfielder Damiano Tommasi clean through on goal, the assistant referree’s flag went up incorrectly ruling him offside. Italy felt aggrieved.
As the minutes ticked by without real chances presenting themselves both nations must have been thinking about penalties.
But it wasn’t to be as Ahn decided it was time to redeem himself. Steady build-up play saw a deep cross swung in with only three minutes remaining. Despite being a good few inches shorter than his marker Paolo Maldini, Ahn rose as a nation held its breath. Buffon had no chance as a powerful header flew past him.
South Korea would go on to beat Spain in the quarter-finals before losing to Germany in the semi-finals.
Hiddink went on to become something of a national treasure in his adopted nation, afforded honorary citizenship as well as a villa and free flights for life on Korean Air. Gwangju World Cup Stadium, where the host nation defeated Spain in the quarter-finals, was renamed as Guus Hiddink Stadium.
South Korea’s legacy of 2002 will be forever remembered in World Cup folklore.
