France V Ireland 2010 World Cup playoff ..as it happend

The story of the 2010 World Cup 2nd leg playoff between France and Ireland in Paris. Controversy as France's goal was both offside and Henry controlled the ball twice with his hand. The cheat!

This goal and the deflected goal from the 1st leg cost Ireland a place in the 2010 World Cup finals. Fifa changed the rules for the playoffs to give the bigger teams an advantage so that they would not play each other. Undeterred by this favouritism, Ireland outplayed France over the two legs and deserved a place in South Africa.

Henry later agreed that a replay of the match was the fairest thing to do. The French Football Federation and Fifa however failed to acknowledge this and France were the last team to qualify.

Michel Platini, a former French footballer had a lot of influence on the decision not to replay the match. He is currently the president of UEFA and he has also been the chairman of the FIFA Technical and Development Committee, and vice-president of the French Football Federation. He was head of the organising committee for the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

Another point to note is that Adidas is one of the main sponsors of the 2010 World Cup, ..Adidas also sponsor the French national team. Corruption??? ..so much for FIFA fair play.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• France
• Ireland
• World
• Cup
• Playoff
• Henry
• cheat
• handball

[maddingo6]

haha yes france won not henrys fault that the ref didnt see it haha gogogogo france

[kami82]

@maddingo6 France got what they deserve, they had to cheat to qualify and they couldn't even get out of the group stage. One point from 3 games... yea.. you gogogogo! haha

[cookiemonsteroncrac1]

Get over it and quit being such pussies about it what the reff says goes

[kami82]

We are over it u moron... ur forgeting that this incorrect decision put us out of the World Cup. Think before u speak u idiot

[ladiibabe08]

@cookiemonsteroncrac1 yea people should blame the ref not henry and ireland is making worse than it is.

[kami82]

@ladiibabe08 I think you're missing the point.... Henry cheated which subsequently cost us our place in the finals. You don't blame the police for not catching criminals do you.

[stephenm28]

Its not that easy to say "just get over it". I know life goes on but this is the biggest forum in sporting history - the world cup & that cheat, henry, robbed Ireland of a prestigious place in the finals when Ireland clealy played them off the pitch & he should have owned up to his handball. He's a professional footballer, at least he's supposed to be. If it were any other country this happened to, I dont think it would be so easy to "just get over it"

[1994Flanners]

this will tar henrys memory like zidanes was, henry is nothing but a cheating scumbag now

[Luanregato]

gogogo irish go