How can any French people defend this?????? It is clearly printed in the picture above.. he is even looking directly at the ball... to make this any other issue than SPORT is a disgrace also.. He cheated and we, Thie Republic of Ireland deserve more than the french team to be there.. They are going to be seen and observed as a joke... Headbutting, handball - TWICE and TWO MEN offside... You must be so proud France.. At least in Ireland we can celebrate our teams bravery and obvious success over your weak, cowardly, cheating national side.

Posted by Lisa | 28.11.09, 23:16 GMT

Shame on Irish people ! It's so ridiculous ! If the samething happened in favour of the Irish team, every irish and english newspaper would be glad to show a beautiful photo of the victory.
At the end of the day, that's the rule of the game. Next time, play and don't speak !!

Posted by Manu | 24.11.09, 08:10 GMT

@ curiously, because lots of Irish & French people live in Belfast and lots of them read the BT perhaps? Question is, why are you posting sectarian rubbish when so many of these people feel genuinely upset that their fellow Frenchman cheated?

Anyone 'blaming' the French as a people needs their head examined, this is one man's mistake. And as others have said, happens all the time.

Posted by Farrah | 23.11.09, 18:14 GMT

i am sorry for the irish of course, but this happens all the time (when the ref doesnt see the foul.)time to bring in the instant replay no doubt about it.
to the french people...you got nothing to be ashamed off. wrong calls have settled more than one result.

Posted by billy | 21.11.09, 04:23 GMT

Hello and excuse my poor english !!
I'm french, 48 years old, and i love sport ! Not especially football, but all sports ( Athletics, handball, rugby, etc...)
So, today, i'm feeling ashamed and i want to apologize for all the french sport's lovers !
I think that this "hand" was a "reflex" but Thierry Henry must say himself he want to replay this match , now and quickly !
YOu, irish, are a great nation, fairplay, always smiling and singing.... AND TODAY i feel more irish than french !!
Sorry again... we don't want this !
AND WE DON'T AGREE ...
And i always hope the FIFA change her decision !

Posted by FRANK TELLIER | 20.11.09, 14:57 GMT

All soccer players and fans who believe in fair play should wear a green armband to show support of the Irish team and keep bombarding FIFA to play fair like they say they stand for.
Well done to the French people for supporting our team.

Posted by christine | 20.11.09, 13:37 GMT

"Why all the supposedly French apologists are posting on a Belfast papers website is baffling."

Because Belfast is in Ireland, and half of the Northern "statelet" supports the Irish team.

The French realize that, although part of our country is under occupation by a foreign power and foreign colonists, it remains Irish. They know the feeling as their country was under occupation from the Germans in 1940, and part of it occupied and settled from 1870-1918 (Alsace).

Posted by Dublin | 20.11.09, 12:40 GMT

Hello
Cessez le foot-ball, vous valez mieux que cela.
Cordialement

Posted by Dany | 20.11.09, 12:01 GMT

I love the way it's "sectarian" to revel in the defeat of an international rival (only if youre an NI fan).

How come the door doesn't swing both ways when (not if) Southern Ireland fans gloat in the aftermath of an NI defeat?

Hypocrites!

Allez Les Bleues, allez les Bleues!

Posted by mark's nemesis | 20.11.09, 11:17 GMT

marks nemesis/MC/Mickey

'It's called Karma'

I wonder what karma has in store the type of person whose every little thought is tainted by bitterness and sectarianism?......

Posted by I.bit.karma.on.the.bum | 20.11.09, 11:03 GMT

Hello,
Being from France and not a soccer fan, I am quite ashamed for my country with what happened during that game. I don't think Henry is the one to blame the most though; FFF and FIFA, by closing their eyes on this, are supporting a result French team does not deserve.

Out of this, through their team and this game, Irish people are definitely seen as the winners, and this is what I will remember, like most French people.

Posted by Anthony from France | 20.11.09, 07:37 GMT

I'm French and I believe that the game should be played another time.

The claim of the Irish football federation has my support. It would have been even more honourable to propose it right after the game as fairplay commands.

Arsene Wenger (a much better coach than Domenech in my view) has offered to do so in the Cup some years ago after a bitter taste victory of Arsenal if I'm not wrong.

Thierry Henry deserves little else than eyesbrown, but he should not be the scapegoat of a whole system ruled more by money than by the nice values of sport.

More globally, video should be used by referees so that real goals are validated and that games are reflecting the true value of teams (or at least come closer to it). Rugby does have it. Why not football ?

Sad for Ireland and his supporters. Would like to offer liberal amounts of Beaujolais nouveau to help. And even better, during the replay of the game !

Posted by Brekelien | 20.11.09, 07:36 GMT

Je suis français et j'ai honte.
Ces tricheurs ne représentent pas MA FRANCE

Posted by YAHO | 20.11.09, 07:01 GMT

I'm a French supporter, and even though I would have hoped the game to end differently, I find it ridiculous to see all those people expressing regrets on behalf on France. If the handball had happened in favor of the Irish, I cannot believe for a second that they would have acted differently for Thierry Henry who is no matter what one of the very best French player.
I understand that the Irish people can be more than disappointed, but I'm not sorry France won. Get over it people, referees will always be making mistakes, one day it will be in our favor, and the next against us.

Posted by Nicolas | 20.11.09, 05:38 GMT

i 'm ok to say yesterday the irish team was the best to win this match but not the qualification for south africa. nothing was done. i 'm french and i'm very sorry and sad for irish supporters. i'm not ashamed for my country but i'm just ashamed for Henry. vive la france, vive l'irlande, vive l'amour ! je t'aime !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by ricox94 | 20.11.09, 04:18 GMT

If you truly are French and wish to bear your tears to the Irish nation, go post on a Dublin papers website. You know the capital of the country you cheated out of the world cup.

Why all the supposedly French apologists are posting on a Belfast papers website is baffling.

Posted by Curiously | 19.11.09, 23:09 GMT

Shame on France.

I'm a french supporter and I feel really bad and shamous. I really hope the match will be replayed.

The Irish team is succesfull team. Cheat must not succeed.

I apologize for people xho should do it.

Pierre-françois

Posted by Pierre-François | 19.11.09, 22:49 GMT

I support the idea to redo the match. I wish that my country goes in South Africa but not in this way. It 's just football and it is magic to participate to the world cup but it shall not be a drama if we dont go, especially if we keep the high head and if we can continue to be proud to be french.
congrats Ireland for your fair-play and your spirit and see you for the third game i hope

Posted by guillaume | 19.11.09, 21:13 GMT

So do I. I'm ashamed of our team. It's all about money. Our team is corrupted. Domenech is a silly man and its team too. They all deserve to be overwhelmed. Scratch them next time. Destroy our French team arrogance.
It has been already to much time we needed to think about change and money is stronger than everything. We are corrupted

Posted by lepetitjul | 19.11.09, 20:34 GMT

The match should be replayed...
We cannot say, to be honest, that Ireland should go to South Africa...
At this stage the game in Paris was a tie....but we can surely say that Ireland should not be eliminated yet...their deserve a rematch!

For the future, video should be implemented, it works so effectively with rugby, which is a complex game to referee.....the decision do not do so in sheer stupidity from the FIFA and UEFA soccer organisation...
The French soccer federation has strongly lobbied for its implementation has was willing to implement it in French Premier League and was prevented from doing so by the soccer international bodies.

Genuinely, the French do like Ireland and the Irish people, a noble and courageous Nation, friends of ours...In the leading French newspaper today polls were conducted with tens of thousands of voters....80 to 85% of voters declare France did not deserve to be qualified (because of King Henry "the cheater")

Posted by French sportsman | 19.11.09, 20:09 GMT