Fifa to investigate Thierry Henry handball

[Sarah Star]

Fifa to investigate Thierry Henry handball

France striker Thierry Henry is to be investigated by Fifa's disciplinary committee over his handball against the Republic of Ireland last month.

The Republic failed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup, losing 2-1 on aggregate to an extra-time goal, courtesy of the assist by Barcelona's Henry.

Fifa's executive committee met on Wednesday to consider the incident as part of a disciplinary crackdown.

But Fifa has not said what punishment Henry could get if found guilty.

Henry twice handled the ball before crossing to William Gallas, who scored the equaliser against the Republic in the play-off in November to put France into next year's finals.

Fifa president Sepp Blatter told a news conference that he did not know what the outcome of the investigation into the handball would be, but it is conceivable that the forward could miss the start of next summer's World Cup finals.

"The disciplinary will open a case on the behaviour of the player Thierry Henry," Blatter told a news conference.

Asked why FIFA were making a special case of Henry, Blatter replied: "This is a matter of the disciplinary committee and it's not a question of this player or another - it was a blatant unfair playing and was shown all around the world, but I don't know what the outcome will be."

On the back of the furore surrounding the incident, Fifa met at Cape Town to consider goal-line technology and extra referees for the finals in South Africa.

However, the sport's governing body decided against using additional referees at the World Cup and have instead opted to set up an inquiry into the benefits of video technology and extra officials.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 391388.stm

[Gus the teenage cow]

yawn...i wish someone would investigate fifa, especially blatter and warner, to have two such slimy pcunts running the world game makes me want to cry

[Focher]

yawn...i wish someone would investigate fifa, especially blatter and warner, to have two such slimy pcunts running the world game makes me want to cry

agreed