"World Cup is not fixed" says Blatter

FIFA president Sepp Blatter says the World Cup finals have not been fixed in favour of co-hosts South Korea.

Blatter said today that the rumours of a conspiracy among match officials and the world governing body to

"The rumours of a conspiracy to help Korea are totally without foundation," he said today.

FIFA are set to abandon their current selection procedure for World Cup finals referees after more controversy involving match officials.

Egyptian referee Gamal Ghandour ruled out two good Spanish goals in their defeat against South Korea and FIFA president Sepp Blatter says he must act. "The whole system of selecting and designating referees needs to be looked at," Blatter said at the weekend.

"We must return to a trio of officials of the same nationality because lack of communication has been the cause of several mistakes."

Assistant referees in the Korea v Spain match Ali Tomusange from Uganda and Michael Ragoonath of Trinidad and Tobago were at fault for ruling out two Spanish goals before Korea won a penalty shootout.

Spain coach Jose Antonio Camacho said after the game:

"We were robbed. I'm disgusted because we could have done something great and then outr game is wiped out."

”They wouldn’t let us win.”

The Spanish delegate to FIFA referee commission then resigned in protest as the Spanish federation launched a formal protest against the events of Saturday's quarter final.

"The damage has been done. We are going to present an official complaint in which we shall say the referee was biased against," said Angel Maria Villar as he quit the commission last night.

But Korea coach Guus Hiddink said claims that his side’s progress to the semi finals was ‘suspicious’ with controversial wins over Portugal and Italy as well as Camacho’s Spain side were unfair.

"That is not fair. Errors are made, by players, by coaches and by referees and linesmen.

"The losing team should look in the mirror, not look to external circumstances."

Korea have had five ggoals against them ruled out and were effectively knocked out in the second round by Italy and then by Spain at the weekend before the intervention of the match officials in their favour.

FIFA have an executive meeting in Yokohama on Friday ahead of the World Cup final next Sunday with the referee issue to be discussed says Blatter.

Italian referee Pierluigi Collina may be given the World Cup final to officiate.