FIFA Will Not Investigate Byron Moreno Following Drugs Arrest

Sep 23, 2010 12:30:00 PM

Football's governing body FIFA will not investigate former referee Byron Moreno following drugs arrest.

FIFA's referee committee have confirmed they will not investigate former referee Byron Moreno following his arrest for the possession of drugs.

There have been widespread calls in Italy claiming Moreno ousted la Nazionale from World Cup 2002 under instruction.

Franco Carraro, an International Olympic Committee member and Italy's football federation FIGC president at the time of the South Korea game, said the arrest proves Moreno was unfit for purpose.

"I fear that drugs didn't have much to do with what Moreno did in the 2002 Italy-South Korea game," Carraro told AP.

"His refereeing was atrocious, perhaps for inability, but more probably for other reasons."

Reasons that remain unknown and unlikely to come to light as Ted Howard, CONCACAF secretary general, who serves on FIFA's referees committee, said they are unlikely to look into the allegations that Moreno favoured other teams during the tournament.

"It would be another body within FIFA," he said. "We're not really an investigative body."

Giovanni Trapattoni, who coached Italy at the time, was partly blamed for their downfall. But, with Moreno's integrity now being called into question, he apportioned all blame on the former whistle blower.

"I saw even before going out onto the pitch against South Korea that it wasn't going to go well with the referee," Trapattoni said.

"Now maybe Trapattoni's reign on Italy's bench will be read under a different light."

"The facts now are so serious that they speak for themselves," Trapattoni added.

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