Ireland asks FIFA for France World Cup replay

November 20, 2009

Angry Ireland called on FIFA to allow its World Cup playoff with France to be replayed, as a dispute over Thierry Henry’s blatant handball threatened to become a diplomatic row.

Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen said he supported the Football Association of Ireland’s request, and promised to raise the issue with French President Nicolas Sarkozy at an EU summit.

Video replays showed Henry used his hand to stop the ball going out of play in extra-time of Wednesday’s match, before he passed to William Gallas to head the goal for a 2-1 aggregate win which sent France to South Africa.

“The blatantly incorrect decision by the referee to award the goal has damaged the integrity of the sport,” the FAI said in a statement.

“We now call on FIFA, as the world governing body for our sport, to organise for this match to be replayed.”

After talks with Cowen on the sidelines of an EU summit in Brussels, Sarkozy said: “I told Brian Cowen how sorry I was for” the people of Ireland.

“But don’t ask me to substitute myself for the referee, or the French football authorities, or the European football authorities: leave me right where I am,” he told reporters.

“You’re going to start denouncing me as the hyper-president again,” he said, in reference to his reputation as a leader who is drawn to the limelight and seeks to get involved in as many international issues as possible.

Cowen, for his part, said that talking about the match “wasn’t the purpose of the meeting” between EU leaders.

However he said he believed after the chat with Sarkozy that “he would understand the sense of disappointment that the Irish people feel after the tremendous performance last night.”

“This matter’s going to be resolved by the sports organisations with responsibility for football, not in Brussels or anywhere else,” he said.

Asked whether he told Sarkozy the match should be played again, Cowen said: “No, I didn’t ask for a replay.”

Cowen also paid tribute to the French footballing public’s outpouring of sympathy for the Irish– turning on their own team.

He said they had been “making it clear in great numbers that there is a lot of disquiet about the manner of the goal.”

FIFA confirmed it had received a letter of complaint from the FAI, but refused to say when any decision would be made.

Ireland’s chances of forcing a replay appear slim.

The match in Paris was one of four playoffs on Wednesday which finalised the 32-nation line-up for South Africa.

The draw for next year’s finals is due to be made in Cape Town on December 4, leaving little time in a calendar already crowded by club matches.Related article: Who’s saying what

FAI chief executive John Delaney said his organisation had also written to the French Football Federation (FFF) asking for the playoff to be replayed, and urged FIFA to take action.

“If FIFA believe in fairplay and integrity… this is their opportunity to step forward,” a clearly agitated Delaney said.

“From the French FA’s point of view, they need to look at themselves and look at this situation.

“Thierry Henry’s their captain, he’s a wonderful footballer, but does he want to be remembered like Maradona was in 1986, does he want his legacy to be this handball?” he asked, referring to Diego Maradona’s infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal for Argentina against England at the 1986 World Cup.

France coach Raymond Domenech said he was stunned to see his team treated as guilty men in the aftermath of the handball scandal.

“I don’t understand why we have been judged guilty. On the pitch, I didn’t see the handball. Since then I have seen the video and it’s a mistake by the referee,” Domenech told www.lexpress.fr

“I don’t understand why we are expected to say sorry.

“We are not going to commit hara-kiri because the referee made a mistake and this time in our favour.”

Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni said he did not believe FIFA would grant a replay.

“It is impossible to repeat the game,” the experienced Italian said.

He urged FIFA to explain how Swedish referee Martin Hansson, who failed to spot the incident, had been chosen for such a high-profile match, saying: “For this important game we needed a stronger referee, an important referee.”

Henry himself admitted handling, but said the responsibility for seeing the incident fell to the match official.

Trapattoni refused to blame the player, saying: “It wasn’t up to Henry to say ‘I touched it with my hand’.”

The Irish press were unanimous in their condemnation.

“We were robbed” said the Irish Star, “Le Cheat” added the Irish Mirror, while the Irish Sun splashed with the “Hand of the Frog”.

A Facebook page entitled “We Irish hate Thierry Henry (the cheat)” also drew hundreds of comments, including a call for an Irish boycott of French goods.

DUBLIN (AFP)

Tags: brian cowen, diplomatic row, extra time, football association of ireland, french football, french president nicolas, handball, incorrect decision, irish people, irish prime minister, nicolas sarkozy, president nicolas sarkozy, replays, sidelines, thierry henry, William Gallas, world governing body

Ireland asks FIFA for France World Cup replay

November 20, 2009

Angry Ireland called on FIFA Thursday to allow its World Cup playoff with France to be replayed, as a dispute over Thierry Henry’s blatant handball threatened to become a diplomatic row.

Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen said he supported the Football Association of Ireland’s request, and promised to raise the issue with French President Nicolas Sarkozy at an EU summit.

“The blatantly incorrect decision by the referee to award the goal has damaged the integrity of the sport,” the FAI said in a statement.

“We now call on FIFA, as the world governing body for our sport, to organise for this match to be replayed.”

As he arrived in Brussels for the meeting to choose two top EU jobs, Cowen said: “Our minister of sport actually will write to FIFA in support of that complaint and look for a re-match.”

He said he and Sarkozy “will probably have a chat about it away from the table,” but added that he wanted football’s authorities to resolve the row and ensure “that fair play is upheld here.”

But as the fallout intensified, the French prime minister said the Irish government should not get involved in FIFA business.

“Neither the French government nor the Irish government should interfere in the functioning of the international federation,” Francois Fillon said.

FIFA confirmed it had received a letter of complaint from the FAI, but refused to say when any decision would be made.

Ireland’s chances of forcing a replay appear slim.

The match in Paris was one of four playoffs on Wednesday which finalised the 32-nation line-up for South Africa.

The draw for next year’s finals is due to be made in Cape Town on December 4, leaving little time in a calendar already crowded by club matches.

Who’s saying what about Henry handball

The Irish football body pointed to a precedent: a FIFA decision in 2005 to invalidate the result of a World Cup qualifier between Ukbekistan and Bahrain on the basis of “a technical error by the referee of the match”.

But a FIFA spokesman said that was a “very different” case, because the referee in the match “saw the incident in question and simply failed to apply the proper rules”.

FAI chief executive John Delaney said his organisation had also written to the French Football Federation (FFF) asking for the playoff to be replayed, and urged FIFA to take action.

“If FIFA believe in fairplay and integrity… this is their opportunity to step forward,” a clearly agitated Delaney said.

“From the French FA’s point of view, they need to look at themselves and look at this situation.

Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni said he did not believe FIFA would grant a replay.

“It is impossible to repeat the game,” the experienced Italian said.

Henry himself admitted handling, but said the responsibility for seeing the incident fell to the match official.

Trapattoni refused to blame the player, saying: “It wasn’t up to Henry to say ‘I touched it with my hand’.”

The Irish press were unanimous in their condemnation.

“We were robbed” said the Irish Star, “Le Cheat” added the Irish Mirror, while the Irish Sun splashed with the “Hand of the Frog”.

A Facebook page entitled “We Irish hate Thierry Henry (the cheat)” also drew hundreds of comments, including a call for an Irish boycott of French goods.

DUBLIN (AFP)

Tags: diplomatic row, football association of ireland, francois fillon, french president nicolas, french president nicolas sarkozy, french prime minister, incorrect decision, international federation, irish football, irish government, letter of complaint, minister of sport, nicolas sarkozy, replays, William Gallas, world governing body

Hoarau late-show puts PSG in the driving seat

February 19, 2009

PARIS, Feb 18, 2009 (AFP) – Two late headers by striker Guillaume Hoarau earned Paris Saint-Germain a 2-0 victory over German side Wolfsburg in the first leg of their UEFA Cup round of 32 tie here on Wednesday evening.

Having toiled for long periods of the match, the Parisians seemed to be heading for a disappointing stalemate until Hoarau’s intervention put them firmly in control ahead of the return leg on February 26.

"It’s a while since I was into my true rhythm, so it gives me great pleasure to grab a double this evening," said Hoarau.

"To be fair my team-mates were the providers and I was just the executioner."

In front of a less than capacity Parc des Princes crowd of around 25,000 – which included French president Nicolas Sarkozy – PSG and their opponents played out a cagey first half in which both sides struggled to create chances.

PSG top-scorer Hoarau sidefooted over just after the half hour, while Fabrice Pancrate should have done better than scuff his shot straight at visiting goalkeeper Diego Benaglio when Clement Chantome’s low centre from the left landed at his feet shortly before half-time.

The home side dominated the second period, but on 65 minutes they were given a real scare when goalkeeper Edel flapped at a cross and Yoshito Okubo flashed a close-range half-volley narrowly over the bar.

Wolfsburg, though, became increasingly penned inside their own half as Paul Le Guen’s side poured forward in search of a goal, and with just over 10 minutes remaining Hoarau rose above a flailing Benaglio to head home Jerome Rothen’s inswinging free-kick and give his side the lead.

Benaglio then had to repel a fierce strike from substitute Sebastien Sessegnon, but he was once again culpable of hesitancy when Hoarau leapt unchallenged to power a header into the net from Chantome’s left-wing corner.

Hoarau then spurned two chances to complete his hat-trick, first sending a deft lob against the base of the right-hand post before spooning a right-footed effort over the bar from Sammy Traore’s pass.

Written by: AFP