Ahn Jung-hwan Reveals Why He Feared Visiting Italy After His Performance in the 2002 Match Against Italy

In the MBC variety program 'Hangout with Yoo' broadcast on September 12, 2026, Ahn Jung-hwan appeared to share the story of why he avoided visiting Italy after the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup match against Italy, and answered questions regarding his football skills and appearance rankings. In the video, scenes followed where Joo Woo-jae and Haha asked Ahn Jung-hwan if there were actual threats at the time and if it was true that he has been unable to go to Italy since then.

Threats Mentioned After the Italy Match

According to the broadcast subtitles, the cast members brought up the topic of him being "very afraid to go to Italy" and mentioned that his car had been subjected to a terror attack at the time. In response, Ahn Jung-hwan explained that Italian media had reported mafia interviews at the time, which contained sentiments suggesting they would harm him if he came to Italy. The video also introduced subtitle information regarding Ahn Jung-hwan, the protagonist of the golden goal in the 2002 match against Italy, stating that the Italian club Perugia had decided to release him from the team. The subtitle explained that this was a retaliatory measure due to Italy's failure to advance to the quarterfinals.

When the cast members asked if he has been unable to visit Italy since that incident, Ahn Jung-hwan replied that it was true. Additionally, it was mentioned that he had asked Chef Sung Kim whether it would be possible to visit Italy after a long time has passed. In the video, it was reported that Chef Sung Kim replied to Ahn Jung-hwan with the sentiment that it might not be possible yet and that something big could happen. The cast members continued the conversation by mentioning the shock the Italian people felt regarding the match result at the time.

Answer Regarding His Position as a Football Player

Questions regarding Ahn Jung-hwan's football skills also followed during this broadcast. The cast members asked Ahn Jung-hwan where he thinks he stands among the all-time Korean football players. Ahn Jung-hwan mentioned his performances in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and replied that he could be seen as a player who performed well at that time. However, regarding the matter of ranking, he said he did not know, thereby avoiding specific hierarchical classification.

Appearance Ranking Question and 2002 Popularity

Following the football skill questions, a question about appearance ranking also arose. Ahn Jung-hwan replied to this, "Honestly, I do not want to compare." To this, the cast members reacted with "Number 1" and "Unshakeable number 1." In the video, it was mentioned that Ahn Jung-hwan was someone who filmed commercials with Hyun Bin in the past, and the cast members spoke with the sentiment that Ahn Jung-hwan's popularity at the time of 2002 would be difficult to break. As the stories about 2002 continued, Ahn Jung-hwan showed a reaction to move on to the final question.