Road to World Cup 2010

It's a very bad to see France in World Cup after that goal. Football has no justice. So, i'm sorry about Ireland, they didn't deserved that.

I always support France in big tournaments, I dont know why but I always have a sympathy to France because of Henry and Zidane. But this year, it wont be the same.

Why not Germany?
 
Theirry Henry, after Arsenal lost the champions league final in 2006, (2-1 to Barcelona at the Stade de France), "You have to be fair in football - you have to be honest and well done to you if you've won, but you have to win in a good way."http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/4992172.stm


It's the result all fans of "smaller" teams feared - It does seem like FIFA/UEFA didn't want the "big" teams to miss out on South Africa, the whole thing looks like sham. I was at the game and I dont blame the ref or even Henry that much (but I would say he is no longer a role model and lacks the class of player like Matthaus, Baresi, Juste Fontaine, Boghossian or Messi - I can't imagine any of those doing anything as blatent as that). I do think the linesman has serious questions to answer, heaven only knows how he didn't see it. I don't really think there should be a another match or Henry should be given a massive ban or anthing like that - it's a moot point after the event.

But I do think FIFA/UEFA should say that from NOW on video evidence will be used to punish players after the game. Football will lose credibility if stuff like this keeps happening, players are just not as honest as they used to be in decades gone by.


...but if FIFA/UEFA would blame Henry and punish him, and would do that consequently, there would be a world cup without stars...remember England-Portugal...i don't think those Portugese complained after that match and Rooney's sending off...


I'm dissapointed to read this from a poster I normally have a lot of respect for. I cannot agree with anyone who just wants "stars" at the world cup above all other factors - it's the sort of thing a 12 year old would type. The teams that make it to the world cup are the ones who have qualified, there should NEVER be a devine right for any nation to be there simply because of "star" players. Russia have more stars than Slovenia and I would rather watch a Russia match than a Slovene match. But that in no way means Slovenia don't deserve to be there, they earned the right. With your ideas one wonders why FIFA should even have a qualification process? Why don't they just run a poll on bebo and see which team has the most popular players. It's a sad day when people think image rights and marketing rule above all other factors.
 
(but I would say he is no longer a role model and lacks the class of player like Matthaus, Baresi, Juste Fontaine, Boghossian or Messi - I can't imagine any of those doing anything as blatent as that).
:LOL: If Henry`s headlines were Hand of God 3 Who.. was 2? mmm he`s from Argentina and plays with Henry :SMUG:
 
2rw5o2p.gif

:APPLAUD:
 
...lacks the class of player like Matthaus, Baresi, Juste Fontaine, Boghossian or Messi - I can't imagine any of those doing anything as blatent as that

Yeah, you can't say you wouldn't imagine such players making a gesture like this since if you were to write such a post 5 days ago Henry would've been on your list; we all thought him to be a great promoter of fair-play.

Messi also maradonad some ball against a certain Villarreal and i think Messi's one of the most modest and best role-models out there.

As a Barcelona fan I'm ashamed bu Henry's gesture and it kinda goes against the club philosophy. Irish people - you gained a lot of sympathy now. You were the underdogs yet you outplayed them. I deffinitely will be supporting everyone against France. And - as even the French say now - with Domenech I won't have to watch too many France games at the WC.
 
Last edited:
Just unfortunate Henry said that it was accidental, blah blah blah, why not just say it was an instinctive reaction and unfortunate thing to happen. But his denial just paints him so much worse.

The ref for me was superb though and can't blame him too much, possibly the lino should've spotted, but not sure of his view.

Definetely after this though video evidence for goals for me should be brought in. Dives and violent incidents could be after match, but actual goal incidents to be done on the day.

About the match, Ireland where brilliant, but only really have themselves to blame for not converting their chances. This was just a kick in the cheenies to compound it.


FD
 
The hand of FROG!

Henry is an ass, me and my mates we talking about him how dirty his game became in last couple of seasons. Couple of challenges against our national team (Serbia) made us all hate him, and now this he is a shame for football even more for the person he once was.

F.U.C.K you Thierry Henry
 
Last edited:
Keane / Ronaldo = White
Henry = Black

Shame on you "Ret KiT" and "The_Special_One"...

Shame on you. Don't be so childish and resort to playing the race card. Like Marlon King indeed here whenever someone of colour does something wrong, inevitably it must be the reason they are harangued or punished.

Maradona cheated and he was pilloried and he is not black. Ronaldo is one of the worst cheats in the game. However to do this so blatantly and then pretend it was not deliberate beggars belief and is insulting to the intelligence of most football fans.

I am certain had the boot been on the other foot Pratini would be pulling the strings to get a replay.

FIFA Fair Play. It's a hollow joke.

I for one hope France get turfed out at the soonest possible oppurtunity rather than as at the last WC fishdiving their way to the final.
 
Some shame, sure 'mais c'est la vie


FRANCE’S POLITICIANS, pundits and philosophers were drawn into the national debate on l’affaire Henry yesterday as the country grappled with the moral dilemma of qualifying for the World Cup thanks to a disputed win few French fans think was deserved.

Asked about Irish suggestions that Fifa should order a replay, prime minister François Fillon said it was not for the Irish or French governments to interfere in the governing body’s affairs.

“Neither the French government nor the Irish government should interfere in the functioning of the international federation,” said Fillon, who was attending an event in Reims on the theme of equality of opportunity.

“Naturally, the government will do whatever the international federation asks. It’s true that we suffered a lot (on Wednesday) and that we preferred the away leg.”

The press and public were mostly agreed France didn’t deserve to beat Ireland, with 88 per cent of the 97,000 people who had answered Le Monde’ s online question, “Did Les Bleus deserve their place at the World Cup?” by 8.30pm yesterday saying no. Of those who took part in a separate Le Monde poll on reactions to the match, more than half said they felt shame and less than 2 per cent professed to having a sense of joy.

The dubious success divided politicians into those who defended fair play and criticised the manner in which France qualified, and those who stressed the good fortune and opportunism of it all.

Capturing the emotional ambivalence, minister for sport Roselyne Bachelot was torn between “cowardly relief” and “great concern.”

“In an ideal world, the match would have to be replayed,” said the leader of the centrist MoDem party, François Bayrou, who is descended from a Dorgan from Cork and admitted he was not proud of the result. “But the world is not yet ideal.”

There was less of an inner tussle to be detected in the words of Daniel Cohn-Bendit, co-president of the Greens in the European Parliament. “Thierry Henry’s hand was the height of luck,” he said. “But that’s football.”

Interviewed immediately after the match, President Nicolas Sarkozy sounded similarly untroubled, saying the match was painful “but the main thing is we won”.

That wasn’t how some of the president’s adversaries saw it. “This match was stolen” and manager Raymond Domenech “must express public regret” to Ireland, said Philippe de Villiers, leader of the right-wing Mouvement pour la France. “The moral of this match is that we can cheat as long as we’re not caught.”

Bixente Lizarazu, a World Cup winner in 1998, said the French performance was “catastrophic” and they should bow their heads.

For his part, Jean-Pierre Escalettes, president of the French Football Federation, said he understood Irish frustration but advised them to put it behind them. “You have to take a philosophical approach. Football is played on small details. However, qualification is still beautiful.”

The Socialist Party’s François Loncle compared the team behind the “pyrrhic victory” to Nicolas Sarkozy’s administration. “It’s a little like the government. Despite a few elements of quality, we have a useless team and a manager (and) leader who is loathed by more and more French people.”

The debate has not been confined to politicians and football pundits. Europe 1 radio looked to prominent philosopher Alain Finkielkraut to enlighten the public on the moral implications of the controversy. “We are faced with a real matter of conscience,” he suggested. “We certainly have nothing to be proud of.”

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2009/1120/1224259178555.html

the real French feeling
some people are throwing eggs on the FFF offices.

update : Maradona to Henry

"Henry, I know how you feel, rendez-vous in South Africa"
 
Last edited:
Last edited:
what has that to do with anything mate?...

Irland has stolen the game vs Georgia.
Irland didn't ask to replay at that time. Where was the fairplay of Robbie Keane and Trappatoni ?
but
Now, they're unfortunately on this other side. And ask to replay.

I'm not agree with Henry's hand, but ... french nt has no lesson to give, no lesson to receive.
 
Last edited:
Irland has stolen the game vs Georgia.
Irland didn't ask to replay at that time. Where was the fairplay of Robbie Keane and Trappatoni ?
but
Now, they're unfortunately on this other side. And ask to replay.

I'm not agree with Henry's hand, but ... french nt has no lesson to give, no lesson to receive.
Did Georgia ask for a replay?, TBH I can't remember. Did anyone blatantly cheat?...
 
Did Georgia ask for a replay?, TBH I can't remember. Did anyone blatantly cheat?...

http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/breves2009/20091120_140430_roy-keane-tacle-l-irlande.html

«Je me souviens d'un match de qualification contre la Géorgie : quand l'Irlande a obtenu un penalty sur l'une des pires décisions qui ait jamais changé le cours d'un match, je ne me souviens pas avoir entendu la FAI demander que le match soit rejoué ! », a argumenté l'ancien joueur de Manchester United.

"I remember a qualifying match against Georgia: when Ireland won a penalty on one of the worst decisions ever changed the course of a match, I do not remember hearing the FAI request that the match be replayed? "Argued the former Manchester United player.

BEYOND racial/country hatred, a man stands.

http://www.20minutes.fr/article/365056/Sport-Les-Irlandais-sont-des-pleureuses-selon-Roy-Keane.php

The former captain of Manchester United and the Irish selection no longer supports the complaints of his countrymen. "Ireland has had its opportunities in the two matches and has never taken. But it's the usual reaction of the FAI:''We were robbed, we was robbed'' 'tackle the current coach of Ipswich Town.

"I am more annoyed by my supporters and my guardian by Thierry Henry. How can we let a ball bounce within 6 meters? How can a defender can be left Thierry Henry interposed between him and the goal? If the ball is in the six meters, where the devil is my keeper? "Says one who had slammed the door of his selection a few days of the 2002 World Cup.

In addition, Keane believes that the Irish Congress should put its own house before seeking to replay the match against France. "I remember one game against Georgia, when Ireland won a penalty on one of the worst decisions ever changed the course of a match. I do not remember hearing the ISP asking the match be replayed, "tackles the old defensive midfielder.

BEYOND racial/country hatred, a man stands.


What's Roy Keane got to do with it?
truth, honesty, courage
 
Last edited:
From memory ( I may be wrong) but did it not matter in that game either way as Ireland would still have finished second and Georgia would still have finished last.
As I said I could be wrong but there would have been absolutely no point in replaying that match...
 
I can't believe people are asking for a replay of the match. If it ever goes through, we might as well replay over 20+ matches of every season thats gone by and of every WC.
 
Henry - Replay would be fair
France striker insists he is not a cheat after controversial handball


Thierry Henry has issued a statement in response to claims he 'cheated' to earn France a World Cup final place at the expense of the Republic of Ireland.

The striker handled the ball twice in the build-up to creating William Gallas' goal in extra-time on Wednesday night which earned France a 2-1 aggregate success.

Ireland's players were left enraged by the incident, leading to accusations that Henry is a 'cheat' and that the game should be replayed.

Fifa has confirmed the match will not be allowed to take place again and, while Henry feels a replay would be the fairest solution, he is adamant he did not deliberately cheat.

Here is Henry's statement in full:

"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.

"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.

"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.

"Of course the fairest solution would be to replay the game, but it is not in my control.

"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."

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12098_5706981,00.html

Oh yeah, what a fucking cheater... :SHAKE:
 
From memory ( I may be wrong) but did it not matter in that game either way as Ireland would still have finished second and Georgia would still have finished last.
As I said I could be wrong but there would have been absolutely no point in replaying that match...

So cheat on Georgia is ok? that's your words?

"truth, honesty, courage"
 
Back
Top Bottom