Italian side Perugia have performed a stunning u-turn and decided to sign World Cup hero Ahn Jung-Hwan, one week after terminating his deal for scoring the winning goal for South Korea against Italy.
But it is not yet certain that Ahn will want to go back to Italy after Perugia president Luciano Gaucci bitterly condemned him for his role in South Korea's stunning second round win.
Gaucci's remarks led to calls by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for a boycott of Perugia. There were also demands for an inquiry of Perugia's action by the European Commission.
Perugia made a surprise approach to South Korean side Busan I.cons this morning saying they wanted to sign the pinup player of South Korean soccer, Busan I.cons club manager Kwak Dong-Won said.
"This morning we received a fax from Perugia in which they said they will pay $1.6 million and exercise their option to transfer Ahn Jung-Hwan to Perugia," Kwak said.
Under a loan deal sign last August, Ahn was to stay with Perugia for one season. The contract runs out on June 30th and Perugia can then sign him permanently or terminate the deal, Kwak said.
He added that Ahn had not yet been told of Perugia's u-turn as he was preparing for South Korea's semi-final against Germany. "This is not yet the right moment to raise the issue," said Kwak. "If he does not want to go I don't know what will happen."
Ahn vowed last week to find a new club in a "better" championship after Gaucci's angry comments. "I found the remarks by Perugia unpleasant but business is business," said Kwak
"Ahn will never play for Perugia again," said an enraged Gaucci who blamed his South Korean striker for Italy's defeat on Monday last week.
"What did you expect me to do? That I would keep a player who ruined Italian football. He should have shown his talent while he was with us. He'll just have to go back to Korea and earn 100,000 lire (approx 48 dollars) a month. "I am not extending his contract, he does not merit it," Gaucci said.
A Perugia spokesman told South Korean media yesterday that the club had made up with Ahn and that Gaucci's comments were a spur-of-the-moment overreaction.
South Korea's national coach, Guus Hiddink, expressed outrage at the Italian action to sack Ahn and said Perugia had been "childish".
AFP