Thierry Henry says the "fairest solution" is to replay the France-Ireland World Cup playoff after he set up the deciding goal with a hand ball.
Article Source: NBC Sports
from:NBC SportsHenry says 'fairest solution' is to replay game
Seeded on Fri Nov 20, 2009 10:02 AM EST (NBC Sports)
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replay the damn game, think of all the money they can make tickets. by the way fooseball is the debil.
Europeans are prohibited by genetic disposition from being fair. The ones that disagree just show how Americanized they've become. The ones in charge (old money) have one rule: Those with the gold rule. Let's see if France is really fair. Let's say if the boycott the world cup
He is only for a replay because he knows it will never happen and because if he isn't he becomes persona non grata in the soccer world. This isn't selflessness but selfishness on his part. It is REALLY EASY to be a stand-up guy when standing up carries no penalty. If he had been for the replay prior to knowing it will never happen that was one thing but now it is just fraudulent posturing. Very French of him actually...
PS, his claim of accidental contact is an obvious lie if you watch the video. The guy is a liar and a cheat...
As a person who plays different sports, I have always been told to play until I hear the whistle. The onus is always on the referee/umpire to be on top of the game and not miss any infringement. What FIFA should do is immediately move to have video replays to assist the referees in cases where there are grey areas or teams have appeals. It is done in cricket, tennis and rugby.
Now here is a true sportsman, and real live living example how any game should be played....absolutely....and bless "A"Frenchman for telling THE TRUTH...
Hey, France ----- At the very least, Henry was above board and honest. I do not know the rulings for such a situation, but it would seem to me that a replay in a "neutral" country would be the best solution. I wish American athletes would display such honesty. Good luck to both France and Ireland.
It is a game! What is this crap about the LAWS of the game. Games have rules and it is time people started to accept them. It is officiated by human beings who are prone to mistakes. If that is not the way they want the game to be, then change it, add replay but for now the rules state that the refferee's decision is final and that is it.
What good is having a governing body if it can't make a decision like this? If the ref's decision is final, then why do they review fouls during matches and they levy fines and suspensions? This makes no sense at all!
Good for Henry - This just makes HIM look good. He was right to call it unfair, however, in this game the referee's call is final whether right or wrong.
While I haven't seen the replays, all accounts seem to agree there was clearly a handball. I have two issues: 1) As far as people praising Henry for admitting an infraction and being a stand-up guy, the article points out that "The France captain said after the game that the referee was at fault for not spotting the offense but waited until after FIFA’s ruling to acknowledge the possibility of a replay." A TRULY stand-up player would put himself on the line and suggest it himself, not wait until after the decision is made and say that he would have decided differently if had been up to him. 2) The ruling body stated that the result cannot be changed. Really? It CAN not be changed, or WILL not be changed? I am not familiar with the FIFA by-laws, but other leagues have a clause allowing for the discretion of the commissioner (or whomever). Remember the George Brett pine-tar incident? That game was started from that point the next night until the game's completion. Does FIFA not have the ability (or the stones) to make this an option? Personally, I don't care if France or Ireland make the World Cup or not, but fair play and integrity still must be maintained.
It's rare for a professional athlete to take the high road.
My hat is off to Henry.
Thierry Henri, by admitting the infraction, has removed all doubt that he illegally handled the ball that allowed France to score and to eliminate Ireland from the World Cup.
It is bad enough that Ireland has to go down on a critical foul that did not get called but worse yet that in today's sporting world professional athlete's feel that a 'whatever you can get away with' policy is the one to employ.
Soccer and hockey , in particular, are the two main sports that remain almost completely unregulated by official team challenges, video replays of infractions and other forms of external adjudication yet it is ,essentially, player attitude that lies at the center of this controversey. Soccer has deteriorated from being an honorable sport to being an advanced acting class for cry babies while hockey is soiled by a commercialized league legalized form of abject and unecessary violence.
It is a sorry state of affairs that drives this writer to stop watching hockey and soccer in their pitiful present forms.
Some "soothing" words from the French still mean a big FU to the Irish!
Ireland can even the score when the French want something done in the European Union. Ireland blocks! Return the big FU to the French!