Ecuador’s most popular club Barcelona on Monday demanded the permanent suspenion of referee Byron Moreno, after he played 12 minutes of injury-time during which the side lost a league match.
The controversial Moreno was in hot water for his handling of a World Cup encounter between South Korea and Italy in June which the Koreans won on the golden goal rule.
The Italians were furious after he sent-off striker Francesco Totti for diving and disallowed what would have been an extra-time winner by Damiano Tommasi before Ahn Jung-Hwan ultimately headed the Koreans’ winner.
Now another storm has broken over Moreno for blowing the whistle after a 102-minute match Sunday between Barcelona and Liga Deportiva Universitaria Barcelona led 3-2 after the regulation 90 minutes but although the fourth official signalled six minutes injury-time should be added Moreno allowed six more.
Liga duly scored in the 99th and 100th minutes to run out 4-3 winners.
Moreno, while admitting he should have blown for time earlier, has protested that ”to err is human”.
But the Ecuadorean Football Federation (FEF) was unimpressed, its website noting that ”Moreno inexplicably played another 12 minutes.”
Barcelona president Leonardo Bohrer indicated the club would ask for Moreno to be struck off the referees’ list for what he termed ”openly prejudicing us with bad intent.” – Sapa-AFP