Wenger leaps to Henry's defence

Gunners boss says France should offer replay

By James Riach   Last updated: 20th November 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has leaped to the defence of Thierry Henry after his handball helped France qualify for the World Cup.

Henry handled the ball in the build up to Les Bleus' extra-time goal in Paris on Wednesday against the Republic of Ireland, but referee Martin Hansson did not see the infringement and allowed William Gallas' effort to stand.

The Republic called on Fifa to replay the play-off match, something which Henry has also come out and supported, although it says the result must stand.

Wenger admitted that he was 'embarrassed' to see his home nation qualify in such a manner, but vigorously defended the former Arsenal striker.

"I believe it is embarrassing," he said. "I support France and it's embarrassing to qualify the way we qualified.

"I feel Thierry will feel vindicated in a wrong way because anybody who has played football can understand these kind of reactions.

"He was the big loser in this story, because if he had come out and said 'it was a handball', half of France would say 'how crazy is he?' to cut off the road to the World Cup. And if he doesn't say it straight away then he is as well guilty.

"Thierry Henry has played here for 10 years basically and has always been super fair. Football and sport in general is full of heroes who have cheated 10 times more than Thierry.

"If someone has to do something for Thierry Henry it is French football and France as a country, and not leave him out there alone against the whole world."

When asked whether he expected Henry to own up immediately, he added: "It is feasible to think it, is it realistic? No.

Blame

"I think it's not right to put the responsibility on one side, on the player's shoulder, and say you have to win absolutely at any cost and you have to qualify us.

"And then when that happens the whole country turns against Thierry Henry, I think that's unfair.

"He has come out and said he has made a mistake and touched the ball with his hand, he is honest."

The Gunners manager says now is the time for technology to be introduced into the game and admits the controversial goal raises many talking points.

He said: "It raises many issues. First of all, I believe the biggest one is, how can football sort out these kind of problems and make sure that doesn't happen again?

"So they come out with a solution with maybe one guy behind the goal, the best one would certainly be technology.

"I feel the biggest anger, for me, is that we are still in 2009, sitting here, where two billion people see what happened and one guy doesn't then you cannot help him.

"And that is the most frustrating with football being the most popular in the world, that we are still having to endure these kind of mistakes and all sitting there at the end of the day, turning the anger against a player, who is one of the fairest players I have ever managed.

"It is an instinctive reaction that the players have sometimes. In the same game Robbie Keane hit the ball two or three times with his hand - the referee saw it. What is not normal is that it is still not punished."

Fairness

Wenger called for a replay in 1999 when his Arsenal side unfairly defeated Sheffield United in the FA Cup after Nwankwo Kanu failed to pass the ball back to the goalkeeper from a throw-in, and the Gunners boss believes in fairness.

He added: "I like justice in sport and I believe that football has a big responsibility to show how you want international life to go on and be an example for people who watch the game. That is part of the values football wants to defend.

"I believe that there are only two opportunities - One France can offer to replay, which I support personally, and the second situation is that Fifa has to make a decision on that issue. Can we make sure that that doesn't happen again.

"We want to beat Ireland properly and that didn't happen, simple as that. Let's make sure that it doesn't happen again."

Wenger also conceded that the referee was not to blame for allowing the goal, commenting: "What is terrible for the referee is he gave the goal knowing something was not regular, and yet no help.

"He knew that something was not right. Then he asked for some help from the linesman, who couldn't give him the help."

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