Evra offers Ireland Playstation rematch

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Manchester United defender Patrice Evra has ridiculed calls for the second leg of France’s World Cup play-off against the Republic of Ireland to be replayed by offering a rematch on his Playstation.

And Evra lashed out at French fans for criticising Thierry Henry following his handball in the build-up to William Gallas’ decisive goal, claiming that they should be erecting a statue for his France team-mate.

The Football Association of Ireland were forced to admit defeat in their efforts to have the match replayed today.

And Evra insisted it was always a ludicrous idea.

He told L’Equipe: “In football there are injustices all the time. Titi (Henry) doesn’t deserve this. Leave him be.

“Who made the mistake? The referee.

“When I think that certain politicians want to replay the match... They don’t even know if the ball is round or oval and they would be the first to come and drink champagne in South Africa.

“The replay, I’ll do it when you want on a Playstation.”

FIFA yesterday ruled out a replay and France will take their place in next summer’s finals while Ireland will remain at home, the victims of what they believe has been a gross miscarriage of justice.

A statement from FAI chief executive John Delaney read: “We regret that, despite our best efforts for a replay which would have restored the integrity of the game in front of a worldwide audience, our calls appear to have fallen on deaf ears at the French Football Federation.

“Without doubt, the credibility of fair play has been damaged by this incident in front of a worldwide audience.

“Despite our deep disappointment, we thank our players, the wonderful Irish fans and the Irish public at large for their support, as well as the solidarity of the French people.

“We will continue to call on FIFA to take action to ensure that such damaging examples of cheating are not allowed to recur.”

Henry has been roundly castigated at home and abroad but Evra leapt to the defence of the under-fire France captain.

“We’re arguing about Henry? We should build a statue for him,” he added.

“That the world press destroys Henry, fine, no worries. But that we, in France, do it, that’s impossible. It must stop.

“If Titi had cancelled out the goal by going to see the referee and we had lost, it would have been the same people who would have talked about his ego.

“Frankly, if he had done this, I would have told him ’Titi, you have betrayed us.’

“This handball, it’s an instinctive gesture. What sportsman can look at himself in the mirror and pretend that it could not happen to him? Who would have gone to see the referee to tell him?

“These people are hypocrites. We’re going to South Africa, that’s all.”

France’s dismal performance in the play-off has given Raymond Domenech’s critics more ammunition.

Many feel that if Les Bleus are to have any chance of success in South Africa Domenech has to go, following a poor Euro 2008 showing and a disappointing World Cup qualifying campaign.

The French Football Federation have confirmed the under-pressure coach will still be in charge next summer, a decision Evra applauds.

“We weren’t good, we passed really close to a catastrophe,” he said. “But we stuck to our guns.

“I will not sing, but I’m not ashamed.

“They always create stories around us. That is good, it builds up character in us.

“People invent stories because they have something against our coach. But hit! Hit! That makes him stronger. He will break the record for longevity on the bench of the France team.”

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He makes a lot of good points, but his lack of empathy for the situation is disgusting.

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Originally Posted by noddy102

He makes a lot of good points, but his lack of empathy for the situation is disgusting.

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typical modern-day horrible, selfish c**t of a footballer

Handling the ball is not an instinctive gesture, I keep hearing this pathetic excuse to justify what Henry did.

This is soccer, the instinctive gesture is to get your hand out of the way otherwise you foul the ball and give away a free.

Saying handling the ball in that situation is instinctive is like saying breaking someone's leg in a tackle is instinctive.

Henry and Evra are the same, both admitting that cheating is instinctive to them. As SkStu has said, such is the modern footballer, win at all costs, cheat or not cheat, epitomised by the Drogba's, Anelkas, Evra's and Henry's of this world.

You forgot Damien Duff and Kevin Doyle. Both said they would have done the same thing.

I don't care who says it, it's no justification.

It may be instinctive but whoever does it, it's still cheating. So if it's instinctive for them, then that makes cheating instinctive to them.

Handling the ball is a foul in football and an effort to gain an unfair advantage. If it was Robbie Keane who scored a simliar goal I'd also be saying the game should be replayed. We know how nationalistic the French are and most French people want a rematch and are embarrassed about this. Eggs were thrown by French people at the headquarters of the FFF the other day because of it.

It's an embarrassment to the French nation.

These guys are like thieves who rob a bank and then blame the police for not catching them. They have absolutely no class and the whole world will be against them next year.

I do find it amazing the amount of pundits, current and ex players, fans and media who do take the stance that Henry is not to blame but the Referee is.

Absolutely ridiculous stance in my opinion. The Ref is all too often the scapegoat, the easy target. Can these overpaid, self indulgent ar$eoles not at least take ownership of the situation when they have been caught redhanded?

I know Henrys statement suggested he was sorry and embarrassed but that was too little too late in my opinion, the time was on the pitch when he knew he had been caught by all of his opposition players - many of whom he would know well enough from his days in the premiership. The fact that his team mates now come out blaming the referee is scandalous.

I never wanted a replay - it was a $hit break for us and we will have to deal with it but I could do without these cnuts addding salt to the wounds.

Fair enough, a replay was never going to be a runner anyways but the arrogance of Evra like many of the French players is unbelievable!

Right now I'd much prefer to take him on with pistols at dawn

I'm shocked and disillusioned at the amount of people, especially professional footballers, who have said they would have done the same thing themselves. Unbelievable.

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Originally Posted by Emmet7

Handling the ball is not an instinctive gesture, I keep hearing this pathetic excuse to justify what Henry did.

This is soccer, the instinctive gesture is to get your hand out of the way otherwise you foul the ball and give away a free.
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Of course it is, obviously you never have played the game of football!!!!!
And most of the Irish players have admitted this as well
What about Robbie handling the ball at least 3 times?

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Originally Posted by bennocelt

Of course it is, obviously you never have played the game of football!!!!!
And most of the Irish players have admitted this as well
What about Robbie handling the ball at least 3 times?

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As far as I could tell, Robbie's were accidental, whereas Henry's was blatant cheating. If it emerges otherwise, then I agree, Robbie is a cheat, and he has my contempt. I don't want to win football matches like that.

And if it's such an instinctive gesture to handle the ball, how come, in the last 25 years, there have only been two high-profile incidents of it happening and leading to a goal? Surely if footballers were doing this instictively, all the time, in crowded penalty areas, at least some of them would have gotten away with it

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Originally Posted by bennocelt

Of course it is, obviously you never have played the game of football!!!!!
And most of the Irish players have admitted this as well
What about Robbie handling the ball at least 3 times?

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what about Robbie getting caught, and punished each time?

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Originally Posted by peadar1987

As far as I could tell, Robbie's were accidental, whereas Henry's was blatant cheating. If it emerges otherwise, then I agree, Robbie is a cheat, and he has my contempt. I don't want to win football matches like that.

And if it's such an instinctive gesture to handle the ball, how come, in the last 25 years, there have only been two high-profile incidents of it happening and leading to a goal? Surely if footballers were doing this instictively, all the time, in crowded penalty areas, at least some of them would have gotten away with it

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It is pure instinct, how often do we see a defender (at any level) on the line handle the ball to stop it going into the net, he knows its gonna be a peno and he will be sent off, but instictivly blocks it with his hand!!!!

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Originally Posted by weldoninhio

It is pure instinct, how often do we see a defender (at any level) on the line handle the ball to stop it going into the net, he knows its gonna be a peno and he will be sent off, but instictivly blocks it with his hand!!!!

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said player is then sent off and a penalty given
nothing happened Henry for his handball

I can believe the first touch was accidental but it was obvious from the second touch and the way that he controlled it that he knew exactly what he was doing. I'm also tired of the people who say 'you've obviously never played the game of football' because I don't agree with their opinion. I think most players and managers who taught it was instinct are taking the safe option of giving Henry the befit of the doubt and may also be influenced my his nice guy image.

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Originally Posted by weldoninhio

It is pure instinct, how often do we see a defender (at any level) on the line handle the ball to stop it going into the net, he knows its gonna be a peno and he will be sent off, but instictivly blocks it with his hand!!!!

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That's not instinct.......that's just deliberately handling the ball to save a goal.....ie cheating.....Conceding a penalty and getting sent off (if caught) is better than conceding a goal. It's only instinct for someone who's instinct is to cheat.

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Originally Posted by bennocelt

Of course it is, obviously you never have played the game of football!!!!!
And most of the Irish players have admitted this as well
What about Robbie handling the ball at least 3 times?

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Of course I have played the game of football. The only time I handled the ball was accidently for which a free was awarded against me.

I never did it deliberately because it's just cheating to do that.

Controlling the ball with your hand goes against everything every soccer player is taught and trained to do.

And there is also the question of fair play. If a player was down injured lets say an opposing defender, would you put the ball out of play or would you try to exploit the situation.

What Henry did was try to exploit a situation and gain an unfair and unsporting advantage.

He knows he cheated, the FFF knows he cheated, Domenech knows he cheated.

The rules of the game clearly say he cheated.

It's basically the same as punching a boxer who is on the canvas while the ref's back is turned and saying it's instinctive and it's the ref's fault.

In any case at the end of the day the qualifiers were a sham, and FIFA had obviously decided in advance that France were to be given every assistance to qualify.

They might as well not have had the qualifiers at all, just hand an automatic qualifying spot to France or to Adidas sponsored teams or to a 'seeded' team. The cheating by France also made the entire qualification campaign a sham from Ireland's point of view, it was pointless finishing second in the group.

FIFA tried to make is as easy as possible for teams like France with the seeding setup only it didn't occur to them that France under Domenech are a poor team who find it difficult to score.

Over the majority of the two legs, Ireland were the better team and at least deserved a penalty shoot-out. But FIFA have no interest in a genuine sporting contest, it's all about money for them at the end of the day.

I hope they are holding their heads in shame and embarrassment. Sport was the big loser Wednesday night.

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Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

said player is then sent off and a penalty given
nothing happened Henry for his handball

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then it's the officials fault for not calling the foul

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Originally Posted by jebus

then it's the officials fault for not calling the foul

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It's not. This analogy has managed to become tired and clichéd in just 4 days, but if I murder someone, it is my fault, and it is me who should be held accountable, not the Gardaí for not catching me.

And in all my years of playing as a defender, I have never deliberately stopped the ball with my hand on the line. As a footballer, your first instinct is to lunge at the ball with your head, leg or chest. If your instinctive reaction is to reach out with your hand, then you've been cheating in training as well.

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Originally Posted by jebus

then it's the officials fault for not calling the foul

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so it goes back to what I've said elsewhere, some sort of post-match discipline should be meted out to players who cheat.
Even if it's just a yellow card, that's something they will carry in competitive games, and eventually lead to a suspension.

Evra is absolute scum.
Just like Blatter and FIFA.
The time for the FAI to be sending letters and campaign against FIFA was when they pulled that stunt about seeding the playoff draw, because as soon as they did that you KNEW something bad might happen. In fact at the time I said that they should have gone to some international court of arbitration or something like that to appeal against it, all 4 of the lower seeded nations should have worked together on it at the time, on the grounds that it was illegal to make up the rules as you go along!!
As for Roy Keane... I don't care if he is right, that's not the point. The point is, he has no right whatsoever to be making comments about Ireland. Pointing finger at one of the best keepers in the world and at a defender he signed at sunderland am I right?? Where is he now Ipswich in the relegation zone is it? ****

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Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

so it goes back to what I've said elsewhere, some sort of post-match discipline should be meted out to players who cheat.
Even if it's just a yellow card, that's something they will carry in competitive games, and eventually lead to a suspension.

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Yeah I'd agree, I'd go back and give him a yellow card for it, which is what he would have received in the game

Said yellow card in this case would now be wiped out anyway because the qualification campaign is over but I do think FIFA should introduce this

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Originally Posted by jebus

Yeah I'd agree, I'd go back and give him a yellow card for it, which is what he would have received in the game

Said yellow card in this case would now be wiped out anyway because the qualification campaign is over but I do think FIFA should introduce this

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that's basically pointless, here's a yellow card, and now it's wiped out
should be carried over into the next qualifiers, or the world cup

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Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

that's basically pointless, here's a yellow card, and now it's wiped out
should be carried over into the next qualifiers, or the world cup

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It is pointless in this incident but it would set a precedent

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Originally Posted by jebus

It is pointless in this incident but it would set a precedent

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I'd set the rule so that any cards awarded up to the final whistle in the qualifiers are wiped out in the tournament, but anything awarded post-game by a video ref, or committee, or whatever, are carried into the tournament.

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Originally Posted by jebus

Yeah I'd agree, I'd go back and give him a yellow card for it, which is what he would have received in the game

Said yellow card in this case would now be wiped out anyway because the qualification campaign is over but I do think FIFA should introduce this

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but if he had got a yellow card during the game, the goal would have also been disallowed and Ireland would have gotten a free out.

So its not a proper penalty. In fact its such an ineffective punishment it would just be stupid.

A one or two game ban would be just and proper in my opinion.

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Originally Posted by volley

Evra is absolute scum.
Just like Blatter and FIFA.
The time for the FAI to be sending letters and campaign against FIFA was when they pulled that stunt about seeding the playoff draw, because as soon as they did that you KNEW something bad might happen. In fact at the time I said that they should have gone to some international court of arbitration or something like that to appeal against it, all 4 of the lower seeded nations should have worked together on it at the time, on the grounds that it was illegal to make up the rules as you go along!!
As for Roy Keane... I don't care if he is right, that's not the point. The point is, he has no right whatsoever to be making comments about Ireland. Pointing finger at one of the best keepers in the world and at a defender he signed at sunderland am I right?? Where is he now Ipswich in the relegation zone is it? ****

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While I think Keane let himself down badly with the comments, I would argue he has as much if not more right to be talking about Ireland than any of us, all the journos, the Joe Duffy's and Pat Kennys who have been doing nothing but commenting on Ireland since last Wednesday night. For the simple reason hs is someone who has actually worn the jersey himself. Irregardless of your stance on Saipan.

Besides his pathetic point scoring against the FAI, Delaney and Given, I believe he was actually correct to mention McShane. Something I argued the morning after the game and the more I saw the incident. A lot of crap has been said about this incident - about off sides and how can you defend a situation like that. Its simple - you play the whistle, not let the ball bounce and you put your foot through the ball and get rid of it. You certainly dont let your oppponent get goal side of you. If he clears TH doesnt get the opportunity to cheat or do anything else.

As for Evra, surprised at this attitude. He always struck me as being quite professional and PR savvy when I ever heard him speak. He said all the right things before the two games too and generally does whenever I hear or read his comments.

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Originally Posted by CMcC

As for Evra, surprised at this attitude. He always struck me as being quite professional and PR savvy when I ever heard him speak. He said all the right things before the two games too and generally does whenever I hear or read his comments.

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Nah. Evra's a tramp. Didn't he get into a fight with a steward once too? Or was that Rio? Junkies

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Originally Posted by volley

Nah. Evra's a tramp. Didn't he get into a fight with a steward once too?

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Chelsea I think. Did Evra get injured today? I won't say what I'd like to say.

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Originally Posted by CMcC

I believe he was actually correct to mention McShane

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The defining images of McShane's career to date for me is the guy making the desperate lunge to get back in position.