There’s a simple, straight-forward solution to the France-Ireland World Cup qualifying handball controversy. Something that should have happened, but did not.
Forget appeals to FIFA. Forget blaming the ongoing lack of replay technology. Let us return to a simple, often-outmoded concept – often forgotten in the modern world, but perfectly applicable to this situation:
Honour.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
Forget Ireland having to ask for a replay. The team that should have offered one – is France.
We all know, by know, that French striker Thierry Henry deliberately handled the ball, grabbing it off the end touchline, playing it to his foot, and setting up the goal that sends France to South Africa. Not that Ireland were going to qualify if it hadn’t happened. But the game was almost certainly headed to penalty kicks, essentially a fifty-fifty shot for the plucky, hard-working sons of the Emerald Isle.
Henry, to his credit, admits he did it and charitably says the game should be replayed. FIFA – put in pretty much an impossible position – does not agree.
But what would happen if the French football association simply invited the Irish back to Paris next week to play another match?
There is a kind-of-famous precedent. In 1999, in the English FA Cup, Arsenal defeated Sheffield United on a goal scored after the Sheffield squad had sportingly played the ball into touch so an injured Arsenal player could recover. On the ensuing give-back throw in, Kanu of Arsenal – who all concerned agree innocently misread the situation – stole the ball, tore through the opponents, and set up what turned out to be the winning goal.
Before the night was out, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger – a Frenchman, bless him! – rejected the win, inviting the Blades back to Highbury for a replay. Arsenal went on to win anyway, but honour was satisfied. British bookies apparently lost millions, but honestly, who cares?
Yes, France earned an enormous fortune from Henry’s handball. Yes, also, that was Ireland’s best effort, and it’s unlikely they would get that close to Les Bleus in the replay.
But now their qualification to the World Cup is tainted, and there are people who will call Thierry Henry a cheat for the rest of his life.
The whole replay issue is dangerously fraught. Canada could easily have appealed for two since 1994, both courtesy of Mexican referee Benito Archundia. I don’t blame FIFA for saying, essentially, that the referee made his call, and French travel agencies are now free to sell as many South Africa holiday packages as they ever possibly can.
Arsene Wenger had it right. He knew his team won the match unjustly, and he gave it back.
No appeal, no ruling, no decades and decades of post-match controversy and agony.
France – unquestionably – is one of the world’s great footballing nations. The chance arose to make a hugely risky and sporting gesture, to atone for what will always now remain a ghastly stain on their sportsmanship. If they needed a day or two to mull it over, fine. But France needed to act before the Irish appeal made it as far as FIFA.
One game, on one day, with pretty much the entire soccer-loving world watching – to resolve a situation that was dead-even anyway, until they won the match by cheating. A gala day out for all concerned – with tremendous drama, and justice for all.
It should have happened. It did not.
From here on in, a stain of shame is on French football – and is entirely self-inflicted.
Onward!