Ahn-Jung-Hwan, more simply known as Ahn. A name that certainly does not evoke pleasant memories in Italy. The mind goes to the 2002 World Cup and that golden goal that eliminated Italy, then coached by Trapattoni. However, the story of the South Korean footballer needs to be told, especially what happened to Perugia.
Because the then president of the Umbrians, Luciano Gaucci, he was unable to digest that goal, attacking his player. And his words, released to the microphones of The Gazzetta dello Sport, even today, they are striking and not a little: «That gentleman must no longer be associated with our team. I will not redeem him. He only made the phenomenon when Italy played. In Perugia he never took advantage of the opportunities we gave him, while then he goes home and acts like an extraterrestrial. This hurts my pride as an Italian and is offensive towards a country that had opened its doors to him». Beyond this reasoning, it becomes legitimate to ask whether Ahn really did “the phenomenon” in a single match. In short, is that really the case?
The Asian arrived in the summer of 2000, becoming the first South Korean to play in Serie A. An arrival accompanied by great proclamations, complete with comparisons with Nakata, with the aim of proving that he is even stronger than the Japanese. The pitch, however, showed something else: five goals in thirty appearances. Too few to earn the trust of the then coach Serse Cosmi. In short, the class of 1976 really seems to have been a sort of hero for a day. And then what happened? Perugia, despite everything, eventually redeemed him, but the twist was the refusal of the striker, who, after Gaucci’s words, decided not to return to Italy, giving rise to a dispute between agents and the club. His subsequent adventures led him to wear the shirts of the Japanese S-Pulse and Chinese of the Dalian Shide. He also participated in the 2006 World Cup, but, in his career, the highest point will always be that golden goal. And it is no coincidence that in his homeland he is still a true hero today, complete with his role as a television commentator and participation in the world of entertainment.
2024-06-26 11:00:35
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