French issue statement refusing replay

[Den Perry]

apparently the FFF has in the last hour issued an official statement refusing to talk to FAI and FIFA about replaying the tie.

So that, I suppose, is game over

[4tothefloor]

Source?

[onenilgameover]

surrender monkeys...no class

[Den Perry]

Source?

Sports news on Today FM or Newstalk at 9pm this evening

[galwayjames]

Here's the link:

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2009/1120/france_ireland5.html

[geysir]

'At the end of the match and because French football itself has suffered in the past by events of a similar nature,

We suffered more than them in Sofia

[ArdeeBhoy]

Do these clowns have a Twitter account or something?
We could just bombard them with e-mails and other messages, which might not work, but at least we could let them have it with both barrels.

The same applies, just more so, to those complacent c*nts in FIFA. Part of me despises their incompetence so much, they shouldn't even be let anywhere near organising a five-a-side competition, let alone the World Cup.

[Murfinator]

Ok we can lift the lid on the frog, surrender monkey, garlic muncher etc insults. They've shown they have no class or integrity, won't feel guilty calling them for what they are now.

[Greenbod]

Ok we can lift the lid on the frog, surrender monkey, garlic muncher etc insults. They've shown they have no class or integrity, won't feel guilty calling them for what they are now.

Please don't forget you're talking about a nation of human beings when reacting to the decision of a commitee culture (probably corrupt..going by most associations) football association. Our association would do no different (you know it's true).

[kkdub]

It doesn't mean it's over. It means the ball is back in our court.

The game will go on as long as we are willing to play but there must be an outcome. We will either give up and suck it up, or they will make some concession. We have until December 4.

[DeNiro]

So, what's the next step then? It's going nowhere now.

[Stuttgart88]

In fairness, it's only the FFF we could have any beef against - the rest of the country is mortified and would offer a play-off in a flash.

I must have had 20 cafe owners offer me condolences and apologies on Thursday morning, but then again, they had breakfast to sell :)

[irishultra]

the cheese eating surrender monkeys vs the pussy neutrals!!!

[Thunderblaster]

Point one in the Fifa Fair Play Code: "Play fair. Winning is
without value if victory has been achieved unfairly or dishonestly.
Cheating is easy, but brings no pleasure. Playing fair requires courage
and character. It is also more satisfying. Fair play always has its
reward, even when the game is lost. Playing fair earns ...respect, while
cheating only brings shame. Remember: it is only a game. And games are
pointless unless played fairly."

After the events over the last few days, the flag that represents FIFA Fair Play has been well and truly tarnished and I feel that the flag should never be hoisted at any Irish football ground in protest of the blatant cheating in St Denis. Can we call FIFA's statement today an endorsement of cheating and deception? I would, unless there is action taken against the perpetrators. The seeding of the draw in September made me suspicious and I was very conscious that Ireland would be undone controversially and my fears were realised on Wednesday night. Not only that Thierry Henry has a lot to answer for, I would equate Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini in the maelstrom also. These people owe the people of Ireland a full, sincere and public apology for the emotional trauma inflicted on this nation. We Irish people shall be strong and united in the justice we seek. Our ancestors gave up their lives for our freedom, we now fight for what is right to clean up the game of football and we shall be leaders to end cheating and corruption in the Beautiful Game that is now being sullied.

[OwenGoal]

My kid's primary school teacher here in France expressed her sympathy and exasperation about how difficult it's going to be to teach kids about fair play when they see their hero cheat.

We're obviously riding a wave of compassion now, but I reckon that will turn if the FAI keep hammering the point.

This eternally flickering hope ain't helping the grieving process. The FFF will only turn if the govt weighs in and its already made its position clear. Despite what's being said on here it's not as if people are out on the streets waving pikes and (Irish) tricolours.

[BradyIsMyHero]

What they are saying is

"We were cheated out of it in the past (Schumacher v Battiston) so its payback time - its now ok for us to cheat somebody else out of it"

Sounds a bit like the current excuses used by the Israelis to justify their holocaust vs the Palestinians

[bholg]

except this is football, not the systematic trampling of an entire population/culture involving the deaths of many innocents.

so its a bit of an extreme/emotive comparison. I know the point you are trying to get at though- but all this is getting out of the bounds of reality at this stage.

[sonofstan]

Point one in the Fifa Fair Play Code: "Play fair. Winning is
without value if victory has been achieved unfairly or dishonestly.
Cheating is easy, but brings no pleasure. Playing fair requires courage
and character. It is also more satisfying. Fair play always has its
reward, even when the game is lost. Playing fair earns ...respect, while
cheating only brings shame. Remember: it is only a game. And games are
pointless unless played fairly."

After the events over the last few days, the flag that represents FIFA Fair Play has been well and truly tarnished and I feel that the flag should never be hoisted at any Irish football ground in protest of the blatant cheating in St Denis. Can we call FIFA's statement today an endorsement of cheating and deception? I would, unless there is action taken against the perpetrators. The seeding of the draw in September made me suspicious and I was very conscious that Ireland would be undone controversially and my fears were realised on Wednesday night. Not only that Thierry Henry has a lot to answer for, I would equate Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini in the maelstrom also. These people owe the people of Ireland a full, sincere and public apology for the emotional trauma inflicted on this nation. We Irish people shall be strong and united in the justice we seek. Our ancestors gave up their lives for our freedom, we now fight for what is right to clean up the game of football and we shall be leaders to end cheating and corruption in the Beautiful Game that is now being sullied.

This is a joke right?

[OneRedArmy]

This thread is the most hilarious yet.

Really, if the shoe was on the other foot would you be demanding a replay?

[Réiteoir]

This thread is the most hilarious yet.

Really, if the shoe was on the other foot would you be demanding a replay?

Poor old Georgia, Argentina, West Germany, Czechoslovakia, Australia and anyone who played South Korea in 2002 never got a replay.

Some people really do need to let things go

And as for equating a football match to Holocaust and Genocide (see Post #16 above) is crass, disgusting, retarded and above all idiotic.

I suspect the main factory in Galway which manufactures industrial size drums of Cop On must be flooded out - judging by people round here...