The Corriere dello Sport alleges that the referee who presided over Spain’s defeat to South Korea at the 2002 World Cup was designated by Jack Warner.
The newspaper claims the under-fire executive was tasked with assigning referees to a number of matches at the tournament, among them La Roja’s controversial penalty loss to the joint-host nation.
Egyptian referee Gamal Al-Ghandour was instructed to oversee the quarter-final, with Warner’s fellow Trinidadian Michael Ragoonath chosen as his assistant.
The tie is remembered for the multitude of questionable officiating decisions, which saw La Roja denied two valid goals and eventually crash out 5-3 on penalties.
Warner, a former FIFA vice-President and CONCAFAF head, was charged with corruption charges by the United States Department of Justice on Wednesday.
