Sports
Sarkozy apologizes for Henry’s handball skills
Published 20 November, 2009, 13:00
Edited 21 November, 2009, 10:18
French president Nicolas Sarkozy has apologized before Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen for the way his country qualified for South Africa 2010.
France eliminated Ireland in the World Cup playoffs on Wednesday, thanks to a rather controversial goal.
An effort from Ireland’s Capitan Robbie Keane sent the teams to overtime in Paris, but it was the hosts who triumphed in the end.
Everybody but the referee saw Thierry Henry helping himself with his hand, before setting up William Gallas to score the decider.
Cowen and Sarkozy chatted at a European Union summit in Brussels on Thursday, Reuters news agency reports.
The French president said he is sympathetic to Ireland's position, but at the same time refused to support their call for replaying the match.
"I told Brian Cowen how sorry I was for them. But don't ask me to substitute myself for the referee, or the French football authorities, or the European football authorities. Leave me right where I am," Sarkozy said.
The Football Association of Ireland has appealed for the game to be replayed. But football’s governing body FIFA has declined any such possibility.
“The result of the match cannot be changed and the match cannot be replayed,” the FIFA statement said. “Decisions are taken by the referee and these decisions are final."
