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TOKYO, Sunday, (Reuters) - FIFA president Sepp Blatter told the world governing body's referees' committee on Sunday to make sure they appointed the "best" officials for the World Cup semifinals.

FIFA media officer Mick Michels said Blatter had attended the start of a meeting of the committee where the officials for the semifinals on Tuesday and Wednesday were due to be decided.

Michels said Blatter told the committee to "do a good job and appoint the best referees".

Spain and Italy were incensed by the refereeing of their games against co-hosts South Korea, who beat the Italians in the second round with a golden goal and the Spanish team in the quarter-final after a penalty shootout on Saturday.

FIFA has admitted that "major mistakes" were made. Michels said the FIFA president had denied he had told an Italian newspaper that officials were "a disaster" at the finals. "He never said that the referees were a disaster," Michels told reporters. "He said they were correct (okay) but not exceptional."

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