SEOUL (Reuters) - Lee Jae-hyung spent four years hunting down a piece of South Korea's sporting history and the search for a famous football has finally paid off.

4年来，一位名叫李云焕（音译）的韩国球迷一直锲而不舍地追寻着一只在韩国体育史上有重要意义的足球。他的幸苦没有白费，他最终得到了这只国宝足球，并将球带回了韩国。

Lee is set to bring home the ball used in South Korea's dramatic penalty shootout win over Spain in the 2002 World Cup quarter-finals.Egyptian Gamal Ghandour, who refereed the controversial match, had kept the ball and was reluctant to part with it, saying it had become a prized family possession.

在2002年世界杯四分之一决赛中，韩国队就是用这只足球在点球大战中击败了西班牙队。比赛结束后，当场的执法裁判、埃及人甘多尔将该球保存。甘多尔一直珍藏着这只足球。他表示，这只球已经成了他家的宝贝了。

"The ball will be an heirloom of your family to be handed down if you keep it," the report quoted Lee as telling Ghandour. "But it will be cherished permanently as a treasure of the whole country if it is in Korea."Ghandour relented and gave the ball to Lee who plans to donate it to the Korea Football Association and have it put on permanent display.

报道说，李云焕告诉甘多尔：“如果你一直保存着这只足球，它将成为你家的传家宝。但如果这只足球保存在韩国，它将永远被珍视为整个国家的国宝。”甘多尔被说服了，他把足球给了李云焕。李云焕准备将这只足球捐献给韩国足协，并将其永久地展出。

Kim Gawn-hyuck of South Korean football magazine Best Eleven confirmed that Lee had secured the ball and was planning to return to Seoul on Friday."Each and every victory is important for South Korean football as we don't have that many yet," Kim said."This ball was the one used when we beat Spain. That's why we were trying to get it back."

韩国足球杂志《最佳11人》编辑金官许（音译）证实，李云焕已经得到了这只足球，并将于周五（11日）返回首尔。金编辑说：“对韩国足球而言，每一场胜利都是重要的，因为我们获胜的机会并不多。这是韩国队击败西班牙队的那只足球，这也是为什么我们想把它带回韩国的原因。”

South Korea reached the World Cup semi-finals four years ago before losing 1-0 to Germany. Their victory over Spain was highly controversial because Ghandour disallowed two "goals" by the Spaniards.

4年前，韩国队打入了世界杯4强，但在随后的半决赛中0－1负于德国。韩国战胜西班牙的那场比赛曾有很大争议，因为主裁判甘多尔吹掉了西班牙队的两个“进球”。