The World’s Most Hated Referee

The podcast explores the controversial career of Byron Moreno, an Ecuadorian soccer referee, focusing on the 2002 World Cup game between Italy and South Korea, where his decisions sparked widespread outrage and accusations of corruption. Moreno's strict, dogmatic approach to the rules, earning him the nickname "El Justiciero," is examined in light of a humiliating early career experience and his father's influence. The episode delves into theories surrounding the Italy-South Korea match, including potential FIFA manipulation to ensure South Korea's advancement due to ticket sale concerns. It also presents an alternative perspective suggesting Italy's poor performance and xenophobia towards Moreno contributed to the controversy. The narrative further covers Moreno's later suspension for adding excessive injury time in a domestic match, his brief stint on Italian television, and his eventual imprisonment for drug smuggling, offering a complex portrait of a polarizing figure.