France v. Ireland = replay, please!

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Oye.  Last night our LL.M. group gathered at the Porterhouse Pub on Nassau Street (conveniently across from campus) to watch the France v. Ireland football match.  This was the FIFA World Cup qualifier playoff.  Result:  We're not going.

If you follow football (soccer), you've probably heard the grumblings about Thierry Henry's handball goal.  It's the talk of the town over here.

During regulation time, France scored the first goal, Ireland the second.  The pub was going mad!  It was so exciting to be in the pub with the excitement of it all and watch Ireland score to make it a tie game.

With a tie during regulation time, the match went into extra time.  France cheated and scored the winning goal via handball.  Not cool.  Pub went mad all over again.  Not a fun night for Ireland.  It was then that I learned - after unknowingly commenting to my classmates, "Why can't they just do a video replay, it's so obvious!" - that FIFA does not allow video evidence during a match.  Apparently it's only used for sanctions.

The next day, I don't think I had a single conversation wherein this topic was not mentioned.  Even the lecturers spoke about it.  We have a few French students in our Private International Law class, so the Irish lecturer had fun asking them if they are proud of their country!  It was all in good fun, they laughed and said they were embarrassed about the situation.

Ireland filed a petition to FIFA to have the match replayed.  It was rejected, so Ireland FA appealed directly to the FFF - the French Football Federation.  Shockingly, the FFF decided to accept FIFA's ruling and rejected Ireland's appeal.  Click here for a good video and article about it - it will wrap up the whole scenario for you if you're not familiar with this sporting travesty.  My friends told me of a Facebook page - Petition to have Ireland v France replayed!  There is also a protest march scheduled for this weekend on Lansdowne Road, just a couple km from Trinity. 

Really?

Thierry Henry officially apologised for the handball and agreed a rematch would be the fairest solution - click here to read about it.  He basically admits he handled the ball, but (rightfully, IMO) says it is not in his control as it is only up to FIFA to decide.  Here is part of it:

"Of course the fairest solution would be to replay the game but it is not in my control. There is little more I can do apart from admit that the ball had contact with my hand leading up to our equalising goal and I feel very sorry for the Irish. I have said at the time and I will say again that, yes, I handled the ball."

Prior to his official apology, an Irish journalist made a huge poster with a proposed apology and a line for Henry's signature. 

The poster was placed outside the stadium in Barcelona, where they knew it would get a lot of attention.  It did, especially when Henry himself drove past it:

And so life goes on.  It will be interesting to see how far France makes it in the World Cup, and equally interesting to see how the first Ireland v. France match goes next season.

Did you hear about this controversy?  What are your thoughts?