This is a review article written after watching the broadcast.
"You Quiz on the Block" Ahn Jung-hwan recounted the story of being retaliated against by Italy.
On the 15th episode of tvN "You Quiz on the Block" (hereinafter "You Quiz"), two months before the 2026 CONCACAF World Cup, Korea's eternal soccer legend Ahn Jung-hwan appeared.
Ahn Jung-hwan was the penalty-kick taker after Seol Ki-hyeon won a penalty in the round of 16 match against Italy in the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, and after missing the penalty and facing a crisis, he scored a golden goal with a header in extra time to lead the Korean national team to the quarterfinals.
However, Ahn Jung-hwan said that his life changed because of that goal. He said, "I gained a lot but also lost a lot," and lamented, "I was released from Serie A."
Ahn Jung-hwan said, "At that time Serie A was dominant. Italian players, even if they left their domestic league, would not go to the English or Spanish leagues. Even if they weren't chosen for the national team and got an offer from FC Barcelona, they wouldn't go."
Because the Italian league was that highly regarded, when Ahn Jung-hwan's golden goal shattered their chance to reach the quarterfinals, Italy began to retaliate. It was reported that he was not only released from Perugia but also subjected to personal attacks, which surprised everyone.
Ahn Jung-hwan revealed, "Because Gauci kept talking, Italian newspapers said the mafia would kill me. They said if I came in they'd kill me. So I couldn't go. I still can't go to Italy."
He continued, "Once I wanted to go, so when Sam Kim went to Italy to film I asked him. 'Can I go?' He said, 'I don't think you can. There are too many people who don't like you.'" At that, Yu Jae-seok said in anger, "He scored in the game, so I really don't understand it."
Ahn Jung-hwan said, "At that time, Korea was a peripheral country. There was no image of Korea. From Italy's perspective, they must have been resentful because they lost to a country they also considered peripheral."
After being notified of his release from Perugia, Ahn Jung-hwan nearly signed with English Premier League Blackburn, but it fell through when Perugia filed a complaint with FIFA. Perugia immediately claimed ownership of Ahn Jung-hwan and said they would receive the transfer fee themselves.
When Yu Jae-seok said, "They released him themselves," in disbelief, Ahn Jung-hwan said, "That really annoyed me. They filed a complaint with FIFA so I couldn't play anywhere. Blackburn had no reason to pay my salary. They sued to prevent me from playing. I was left in limbo," and he revealed he had to pay a penalty of as much as 3.8 billion won.
At the time, Ahn Jung-hwan, who did not have much money, was unemployed and rested for six months, and even thought his career might be over. He lamented, "I thought about quitting sports. I only played for the country, so why did I have to be treated like this? It was very unfair."
He added about the uniform, "To me it is both an angel and a devil. It treated me like an angel at times, but sometimes it gave me devilish, painful times. Still, I am not ashamed of myself and I did my best with no regrets, but I feel disappointed."
Afterward, Ahn Jung-hwan joined a Japanese team after a large Japanese entertainment agency that liked him paid his penalty on his behalf. He said that by appearing in commercials and broadcasts, his debt was forgiven over three years.<
[Photo] "You Quiz on the Block" broadcast screen capture
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