South Korea star Ahn Jung-hwan will not be going back to Perugia, the Serie A club which threatened to fire him for scoring the golden goal that eliminated Italy from the World Cup.

Ahn's decision came after the Italian club reversed its position and claimed to have taken the option to buy Ahn's contract from South Korean K-League club, Busan I.cons.

"Ahn has flatly denied Perugia's offer to fully join them," Ahn's management group, ePlayers, said in a statement. "He said he will no longer discuss his transfer to Perugia, which attacked his character instead of congratulating him for his goal in the World Cup." Reached by telephone in Italy, Perugia spokesman Paolo Giovagnoni said the club had not heard from Ahn.

"We don't believe this news," he claimed. "There is a contract signed by three parties - Perugia, Busan, and Ahn - that takes effect on June 30, 2002. We'll wait to hear directly from Ahn, who I hope is now enjoying some vacation." Ahn has been with the Italian club for two seasons, spending most of his time on the bench. However, he has been one of the World Cup's success stories, and his header in extra time against Italy shocked the world, firing South Korea into the quarter-finals and sending the three-time champions packing from the World Cup. The next day, Perugia owner Luciano Gaucci was quoted by the Italian daily La Gazzetta dello Sport as saying, "I am not going to pay the salary of a guy who has been the ruin of Italian soccer."

Gaucci's words drew criticism around the world, particularly in Asia, where the Asian Football Confederation threatened to tell all their players to stay away from Perugia.

Later, Giovagnoni defended Gaucci, saying the Perugia owner's reaction was an emotional one and that the team's decision was made independently of the World Cup game.