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Vice President
Well, it looks as though FIFA has ruled: there will be no replay. Ultimately I believe this was the right call. Shitty deal for Ireland though.
FIFA rejects replay request to end Irish hopes - FIFA World Cup 2010 - ESPN Soccernet
Ireland's last hopes of reaching the World Cup finals have been extinguished by the news that FIFA will not consider ordering a replay of Wednesday night's controversial play-off second leg in Paris.
The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) lobbied hard for a replay after Thierry Henry committed a blatant handball, which was not spotted by referee Martin Hansson, before crossing for William Gallas to score in extra time and seal a 2-1 aggregate win for Les Bleus.
The incident provoked an outcry, with Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen even taking up the issue with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, but the FAI's representations to FIFA have met with no success.
As was widely anticipated, the governing body has confirmed they have no intention of agreeing to a replay and that the decision of referee Hansson is final.
FIFA said in a statement: "FIFA has today, 20 November 2009, replied to the request made by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) to replay the 2010 FIFA World Cup play-off match held on 18 November 2009 between France and the Republic of Ireland in Paris.
"In the reply, FIFA states that the result of the match cannot be changed and the match cannot be replayed. As is clearly mentioned in the Laws of the Game, during matches, decisions are taken by the referee and these decisions are final."
FIFA's response will now be considered by the FAI's board of management, which sits for a pre-arranged meeting on Friday afternoon.
The FAI said in a statement: "Football Association of Ireland today confirmed that it has received correspondence from FIFA rejecting the Association's request for a replay of the World Cup play-off match between France and the Republic of Ireland.
"A previously scheduled meeting of the FAI board of management will take place this afternoon where the matter will be considered. No further comment will be made until this meeting has concluded.''
However, the FFF wants a line to be drawn under the matter and has rejected suggestions that Raymond Domenech's job could be at risk due to the unconvincing nature of France's qualification.
"FIFA is the ruler of the game and we have to abide by what they say,'' an FFF spokesman said. "What they decide we have to do and they have ruled it will not be replayed. So we should move on.
"The federation's president and the coach and all of us involved feel that it was a bitter qualification. But we don't decide how we qualify. We played poorly and it came down to a referee's mistake, but that's the way it went. It happened on our side, in our favour, but sometimes in history it goes against you.
"The Irish were really great, they played brilliantly and we played poorly. We were awful. And then at the end we achieved the qualification in this particular way thanks to a referee's mistake. If it had favoured the Irish side well you can imagine how people would have felt and reacted here, the French media, the French team, the FA, everyone.
"We qualified. For sure he (Domenech) will be our coach. When you manage a team and win you don't change the coach. Sometimes you do in club football but not in an international team."
France coach Domenech stated on Friday that he was surprised by the level of criticism levelled at Henry and rejected calls for France to apologise. The incident has seen Henry's standing in the game questioned although a number of players, and Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni, have refused to condemn the striker.
Frenchman Arsene Wenger, who transformed Henry into one of the world's best forwards at Arsenal, was dissatisfied with the way his compatriots reached next summer's World Cup finals.
"For the sense of justice it is quite embarrassing to see," he said. "I think even France is embarrassed. We didn't play well at all and we won the game and won the qualification with a goal that was not a goal."
Wenger believes there were clear indications - namely the reaction of the players - that Swedish referee Hansson had made the wrong decision.
"For two reasons; first of all Henry didn't celebrate at the start, that gives an indication to the referee, but spontaneously 11 Irish players came to see the referee," added Wenger. "That doesn't happen if it's not something obvious. You have two, three or four but not 11 and that convinced him to go and see the linesman as well and say 'Listen, I didn't see what happened, can you help me?'"
"The spirit must be the firmer, the heart the bolder,
courage must be the greater as our might fails"
Vice President
I don't agree with the call because I am a firm believer in fair competition. I don't mind losing, if you lost fairly. There is a reason they have replays in other sports. This is a tremendous disservice to the Irish soccer team. The fair and sportsman thing to do would be to give the team another shot.
"The long run is a misleading guide to current affairs. In the long run we are all dead." - John Maynard Keynes (admits his philosophy is not viable)
Vice President
I am believer that if the ref didn't see it then tough shit. Its part of the game.Originally Posted by fishjoel
"The spirit must be the firmer, the heart the bolder,
courage must be the greater as our might fails"
Forum Administrator
And yet you still stand behind the 2005 win by the Steelers? Even with all the appauling calls and decisions?
I don't agree anymore with the Irish getting a replay, i did at first. They should walk away and stop playing under Fifa's jurisdiction, boycott international games.
Sometimes when you just aren't happy when one side doesn't follow the rules, you just gotta walk away, especially when the head official just won't see it. (Intentionally or unintentionally).
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Vice President
To be fair, I doubt this was a malicious move on Henry's part.
EDIT: Nevermind, I finally saw a replay from a decent angle. Yeah, it was intentional. Still, the ref missed it. Sadly, it is part of the game.
"The spirit must be the firmer, the heart the bolder,
courage must be the greater as our might fails"
Vice President
I could punch you in the testicles and not get caught by the ref and it wouldn't be considered part of the game.
"The long run is a misleading guide to current affairs. In the long run we are all dead." - John Maynard Keynes (admits his philosophy is not viable)
Vice President
Yes, I stand by it because the calls weren't bad. You see, we have replay in the NFL. The calls were upheld.
"The long run is a misleading guide to current affairs. In the long run we are all dead." - John Maynard Keynes (admits his philosophy is not viable)
Vice President
Not arguing that it isn't a shitty situation man, so calm down.
As such, if the ref (and line judges) missed such a move then you are right.
"The spirit must be the firmer, the heart the bolder,
courage must be the greater as our might fails"
Forum Administrator
Just goes to show instant replay wouldn't have helped in this situation either. Cheats will always be cheats.
Its strange, in the last EC, on this forum i complained of the amount of black players the French field, but looking at it, like in this match, when they leave out the likes of Benzema and other white players (whole team was almost charcoal black) hey tend to get more favorable decisions.
Of course the fact that Blatter and Platini are both French and head up respective governing bodies just adds insult to injury...this is why the Irish have to stop giving legitimacy to Uefa and Fifa.
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Vice President
Sadly, I don't think such a move holds any real weight.
"The spirit must be the firmer, the heart the bolder,
courage must be the greater as our might fails"
Vice President
Wait, Trav, I thought Sepp Blatter is Swiss-German?
"The spirit must be the firmer, the heart the bolder,
courage must be the greater as our might fails"
Vice President
I didn't mean I wanted to punch you in the boys...I was just using a silly example that I know that hurts
"The long run is a misleading guide to current affairs. In the long run we are all dead." - John Maynard Keynes (admits his philosophy is not viable)
County Executive
It's gotta be heart-breaking to most fans of Ireland. Nothing worse than having your favorite team lose a big game on a blown call. Since replay was allowed in the NFL, there are very few arguments about blown calls anymore. A loss is now a loss. Good peace of mind, afterwards.
President
Imho, calls still get blown in the NFL.
First they came for the mimes, and I did not speak out, because I was a mime.
Forum Administrator
Indeed. See above refference to Superbowl game.
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