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French should offer to replay Irish game

Nothing sportsmanlike about Thierry Henry handball

By
SEAN O'SHEA,
Irish Central.com

Published Thursday, November 19, 2009, 8:17 AM
Updated Thursday, November 19, 2009, 12:38 PM

 

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Video replay.

Two words that have come back to haunt FIFA, the international body who runs soccer.

Because of the lack of it France are in the World Cup championship and Ireland are out.

Thierry Henry handled the ball, plain and simple, plain as a pikestaff, plain as the nose on your mother's face, as the sun in the morning in the Sahara as the butter on your toast, the tea bag in your tea, the button on your belly.

The only one who missed it was the referee from Sweden Martin Hannson. Hannson is what Hannson does. In this case he showed the IQ of a turnip not a Swede.

Henry actually handled it twice. Watch the video replay. It is the most controversial goal in world football since Diego Maradonna's "Hand of God" goal defeated England in 1986.

The sight of the stricken Irish players vainly arguing with officials will be on Irish minds forever. After a display of class, gallantry and brilliance it all came down to being cheated out of their chance

Henry admitted straight after the game he handled it: "I will be honest, it was a handball. But
I’m not the ref. I played it. The ref allowed it. That’s a question you should ask him."

He broke the rules, broke the hearts of Irish people everywhere, broke the spirit and rules of the glorious game and got to the World Cup finals by cheating.

The French don't have the best international reputation to begin with. Now they have sullied their name even more. In the name of sportsmanship they should play the game again at a neutral venue.

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2 Comments

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Posted by jacersisityourself on Nov 19, 2009, 03:36 PM EST
Look at it this way... If the incident had happened at the other goal end (in favour of the Irish), you can be sure the French would call for a replay. And they would have got it!!! >>> Justice must be done for the Irish players who’ve shocked the soccer world by their steadily improving performance throughout the qualifying stage (unbeaten)and brilliant late charge under Trappatoni. To be so near, yet so far away from World Cup tournament on a bad call for any soccer team that deserves to be there is total injustice. >>>> ‘Cheated’ by a referee’s errant decision when so much was at stake is the only word FIFA must look at, with its own ‘Fair Play’ motto looming large in its mind. The precedent has been set in FIFA’s own decision re an Uzbekistan vs Bahrain match, where a ref’s decision was ruled a ‘technical error’ and a rematch ordered.
Report abuse
Posted by deenaww on Nov 19, 2009, 09:42 AM EST
I think it is bull****!
 


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