Under-fire France striker Thierry Henry believes a replay of the World Cup play-off with the Republic of Ireland would “be the fairest solution”.

The Republic appealed to have the match replayed after an Henry handball helped France to a 2-1 aggregate victory.

But their plea was rejected by Fifa, while the French Football Federation (FFF) will not advocate a rematch.

Henry said: “Of course the fairest solution would be to replay the game but it is not in my control.”

Irish skipper Robbie Keane welcomed Henry’s comments and called on the FFF to agree to a rematch.

Keane said: “On behalf of the Republic of Ireland players, I would like to thank Thierry Henry for his statement this afternoon that in his opinion a replay would be the fairest option.

“As captain of the French team, to make such a statement took courage and honour, and all of us recognise that.

“As captain of the Republic of Ireland team, I would also be happy for a replay to happen in the interest of fair play so that whichever team qualifies, can do so with their heads held high.

“We can only hope that the French Football Federation might accept the wishes of both captains in the best interests of the game.”

With the tie finely poised at 1-1 in the first half of extra-time, Barcelona striker Henry twice handled a long ball into the area before squaring for William Gallas to bundle home the eventual winner.

The incident has attracted mass news coverage across Europe, but Henry – who admitted the handball immediately after the match – waited until Friday before releasing a statement.

“Naturally I feel embarrassed at the way that we won and feel extremely sorry for the Irish who definitely deserve to be in South Africa,” said the 32-year-old.

“There is little more I can do apart from admit that the ball had contact with my hand leading up to our equalising goal and I feel very sorry for the Irish.”

And the former Arsenal forward insisted he was not a “cheat”, claiming his handling of the ball was “instinctive”.

“I have said at the time and I will say again that yes I handled the ball. I am not a cheat and never have been. It was an instinctive reaction to a ball that was coming extremely fast in a crowded penalty area,” he said.

“As a footballer you do not have the luxury of the television to slow the pace of the ball down 100 times to be able to make a conscious decision. People are viewing a slow motion version of what happened and not what I or any other footballer faces in the game.

“If people look at it in full speed you will see that it was an instinctive reaction.

“It is impossible to be anything other than that. I have never denied that the ball was controlled with my hand. I told the Irish players, the referee and the media this after the game.”

Henry’s former manager Arsene Wenger echoed the frontman’s thoughts, adding that the incident furthered the case for video technology to be used in future.

“Football accepts that a billion people see it, one guy doesn’t see it, and yet it is the one who prevails. It cannot work,” said the Gunners boss.

“At the game, I saw the referee giving a goal knowing that something was wrong and that is really sad.

“In the end, he gave a goal already knowing that it wasn’t a goal. We cannot accept that in our sport and you have to do something about it. The referee didn’t see it, I can understand that, the linesman didn’t see it, but they couldn’t get any help.

“For the sense of justice it is quite embarrassing to see. I think even France is embarrassed. We didn’t play well at all and we won the game and won the qualification with a goal that was not a goal.”

And Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson also advocated the use of video technology to resolve such issues.

“The stance is that Fifa prefers human decision-making rather than technology decision-making and until they change their mind there is nothing you can do about it – you have to convince them, nobody else,” said the Scot.

“It is not a matter of asking every player and manager in the world their opinion because they will all share the same one, as I do myself, that technology can play a part and can help referees in a situation like the other night.”

Source:BBC

The controversial World Cup play-off between the Republic of Ireland and France cannot be replayed, Fifa has declared.

“As is clearly mentioned in the Laws of the Game, during matches, decisions are taken by the referee and these decisions are final,” football’s governing body said.

The announcement came as the fall-out from Thierry Henry’s handball continues to rumble on.

The Football Association of Ireland has asked the French FA to agree to a replay and urged other nations to pressurise Fifa as formal complaints and demands were sent.

French finance minister Christine Lagarde is the latest high-profile French personality to speak out against the handball incident.

She told radio station RTL: “Fifa should… replay the match.”

Henry’s former France team-mate Emmanuel Petit said: “Thierry’s handball will not send out a good message.”

And France football hero David Ginola said: “I do not feel very proud to be French. Something should be done.”

Amid growing support, Ireland’s philosophical manager Giovanni Trapattoni conceded that pleas may fall on deaf ears.

However, FAI chief executive John Delaney said the issue would remain a matter of integrity.

“This was a defining game that the whole world was watching. If Fifa believe in fair play and integrity, this is their opportunity to step forward,” he said.

“It’s not about money. This is about supporting integrity.”

It is estimated that World Cup qualification would have been worth £26.7m to Irish football – the French team’s success will give a similar boost to France.

Source:Sky News

No stranger to controversy himself, the Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder voiced his opinion on Henry’s handball this past weekend.

The controversy over Thierry Henry’s handball for France versus Ireland has taken on epic porportions.

The issue of whether Henry should be punished or if video replay should be instituted has become a topic of converation and debate all around the world.

Even in the USA, where David Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy are preparing for Major League Soccer’s championship match, the subject of Henry’s handball came up.

Source: Goal.com

Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given fears Thierry Henry could have cheated him out of his last chance to play in a second World Cup.

 

The 33-year-old Manchester City stopper, the senior man in the current squad, represented his country in the Far East in 2002, and had high hopes of doing so again in South Africa next summer.

He and his team-mates were within touching distance of doing just that at the Stade de France on Wednesday night when Henry intervened.

For once, it was not the France skipper’s brilliance or blistering pace which caused such excitement, but a blatant handball which was missed by Swedish referee Martin Hansson seconds before the Barcelona superstar crossed for William Gallas to send the home side through 2-1 on aggregate in extra-time.

Given said: “It could be the last time, it could be. I don’t know what’s around the corner, I don’t know if I will make another one, and that makes it even more heart-breaking.

“I have only played in one and we were the better team and deserved to go to the World Cup. But we are not going, so it is hard to take.

“I don’t know if he [the referee] spoke to the fourth official or the linesman or someone. It was so blatant and we were so strongly protesting because we just felt somebody must have seen it, it was so blatant.

“How he didn’t see it was beyond belief – maybe he did see it, I don’t know.

“The seeding thing was bad enough, but then to go out of a World Cup like this is extremely hard to take.

“We do feel as if we have been cheated, not to go to the World Cup finals.

“He [Henry] cheated to win the game. I don’t often say that, but that’s how it was. He clearly cheated and they won the game from that.”

Henry initially indicated the ball had hit his chest, exactly the view taken by Mr Hansson, although Given greeted the suggestion with a snort of derision.

He said: “I have seen the replays – he stopped it and then he pulled it in again.

“You saw it at the time – I don’t know if you have seen my reaction, but it was so blatant, it wasn’t even close to his chest or anything.

“The ref tried to say it was his chest – it was nowhere near his chest. It was disgusting.

“It’s a disgrace, to be honest. How the ref or the lineman can’t see it is absolutely ridiculous.

“I never normally have a go at referees or linesmen, but it is so blatant, it’s disgusting.

“He handballed it twice - he stopped it and then pulled it back in. It’s remarkable.

“We feel cheated by both Henry and the officials. It’s disgusting.

“We were the better team and we are going home with nothing. In a few weeks, UEFA and (Michel) Platini will be happy up in the stands or wherever they will be.

“France are going to the World Cup, they are a big nation and we as a small nation have been cheated not to go to the World Cup.”

The result was all the more difficult to take because Ireland had turned in their best display in years to take the lead through Robbie Keane’s 32nd-minute strike, and then threatened to win the tie outright inside normal time as they created a series of excellent chances.

As difficult as it was to reflect upon the positives of a desperately disappointing night in Paris, Given was able to cast one eye to the future.

He said: “The good thing is that in both legs, I felt we were the better team, and that gives you great belief and great spirit for the future and for the European qualifiers now.

“I know it’s hard to talk about that now – all we are thinking about is the World Cup – but the team showed we should have beaten France with the chances we created.

“We had some great chances and had we scored a second, the tie would have been over.”

Source:Teamtalk.com

FAI chief executive John Delaney has urged FIFA to uphold their principles and agree to replay the Republic’s World Cup play-off with France.

Handofgaud.com would like you to help support the cause and sign the petition which we will push forward to FAI.

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Brought to you from HandofGaul.com join in with cheat Thierry Henry and play the Thierry Henry Keepy Uppy Game.

The Football Association of Ireland today lodged a formal complaint with world governing body FIFA over the controversial World Cup play-off defeat to France.

The FAI said the integrity of the game has been damaged after French forward Thierry Henry blatantly handled the ball during extra time in the lead-up to the winning goal scored by William Gallas.

“The handball was recognised by the FIFA commissioner, the referee observer and the match officials, as well as by the player himself,” the FAI said.

Ireland’s Justice Minister Dermot Ahern and assistant Republic of Ireland coach Liam Brady have both called for the game to replayed.

The FAI said there was precedent for the result to be struck out.

FIFA ordered Uzbekistan to replay Bahrain in a play-off for the 2006 World Cup in Germany after the referee made a mistake after a penalty had been awarded.

The governing body described it as a “technical error”.

However, in that instance, the referee was guilty of wrongly applying the rules rather than missing an offence. An indirect free-kick was awarded against Uzbekistan when one of their players encroached on the Bahrain penalty area as the Uzbeks successfully converted a penalty. The correct interpretation would have been to order the penalty to be retaken.

“The Football Association of Ireland is hoping that FIFA and its disciplinary committee will, on behalf of football fans worldwide, act in a similar fashion so that the standards of fair play and integrity can be protected,” the FAI said.

Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni wants FIFA to explain their choice of referee for the game.

Trapattoni told a press conference in Dublin today: “All fans saw what happened on the pitch.

“I would only like to say I would like FIFA to explain how they selected the referee for this important game. For this important game we needed a stronger referee – an important referee.”

The Italian continued: “I would give the advice to FIFA – maybe in the future change the rules about the play-off. Play two games and at the end of 90 minutes – no extra-time.

“I think there are mistakes in life…I’ve seen many situations in football but change the rules. All sports lose credibility with this situation – it affects the integrity of the game.

“I will go to FIFA and advise them ‘go straight to penalties’. It’s better for football.

Trapattoni admitted it had been a “bitter” experience and for him the circumstances of the play-offs were questionable.

He added: “For me it’s bitter. There are many questions – they changed the rules about the seeded teams, then us playing away last.

“There are many doubts that have to be eliminated.

“Out of the non-seeded teams we were the only ones to play the second game away – why?”

The Italian believes there was no prospect of the match being replayed, adding: “I know its impossible to replay the game.

“This situation has to give a chance to who is responsible to rethink. It can be repeated in the future and we have to stop it.

“There is a 30-second stop and we clarify the situation. I’m sure in the future they will have to do something about it.”

Trapattoni did though absolve Henry, saying: “It wasn’t up to Henry to say I touched it with my hand.”

The FAI hit out at the referee, Swedish firefighter Martin Hansson, who failed to spot Henry use an arm to control the ball before squaring for team-mate William Gallas to score.

“Conclusive video evidence of a deliberate hand ball by Thierry Henry, which led to France’s additional time goal, has been seen by millions of football fans worldwide,” the FAI said.

“The blatantly incorrect decision by the referee to award the goal has damaged the integrity of the sport and we now call on Fifa, as the world governing body for our sport, to organise for this match to be replayed.”

Source:MirrorFootball.co.uk

We’ve seen this around already, but it only seems natural that Kanye West would weigh in on the controversial handball by French striker Thierry Henry in today’s World Cup Qualifying Playoff against Ireland.

Sponsors are standing by Thierry Henry after the Barcelona striker’s blatant handball gave France a place at next year’s World Cup finals at the expense of Ireland.

Sports fans the world over turned on the football star, who enjoys a global profile partly thanks to an advertising campaign by Gillette, the shaving brand, that placed him in the very top tier alongside Tiger Woods, the golfer and first $1 billion athlete, and Roger Federer.

When Gillette launched its champions campaign in 2007, the US company said it had picked Henry because he embodied “true sporting values”.

James Nunn, a spokesman for Gillette, said: “It’s not our place to comment on refereeing in a match but this is not going to affect our relationship with him.”

Source:Thetimes.co.uk

Will you be boycotting Gillette over the Thierry Henry handball? Comment below

If you have the heart for it or missed the France vs. Ireland game last night, find below a YouTube clip of Theirry Henry cheating our Irish boys out of the World Cup.