Blatter breaks his silence

[Stuttgart88]

I was just flicking though Sky Sports' text service and saw the headline "FIFA chief breaks his silence".

The story went like this: Blatter rang Thierry Henry to offer his support. He said it was all the ref's fault. He said he cheated himself in a junior match and didn't own up to the ref so why should Henry?


I couldn't believe what I was reading.

FAI should call on Blatter publicly to explain his remarks and to ask where FIFA's "Fair Play" principles are adhered to in this case. It's an insult to our players, fans and the FAI. Did Blatter think of offering his support for the devastated Shay Given or Richard Dunne? Like **** he did.

[Junior]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/s...ow/5281683.cms

In fact also criticises ref for 'not taking his time'........

[Stuttgart88]

Links to the story here (sorry Junior, was also searching for the link while you were posting it up)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/foo...-incident.html

OK, so Henry was trying to call him. "Sepp, Sepp, I'm really sad. I cheated in a high profile game and now there's been a big reaction."

So it seems like the moral of the story is that the closer you are to the head of FIFA the less likely it is you'll be criticised or sanctioned for cheating. Not once does Blatter suggest that Henry should expect to be accountable for his actions even if he does have sympathy for the extent of the backlash. He seems to suggest that cheating is OK as long as you admit it afterwards.

I really hope Delaney tries to make capital out of this. There's no love lost - Delaney / FAI supported another candidate in the last FIFA "election" - so we've nothing to lose.

Time to face it lads and lasses: we're from the wrong country and that's pretty much the rub of it.

[Junior]

Can you imagine any Irish player trying to 'call' Blatter?

Its laughable, Ireland and France are miles and miles apart in the eyes of FIFA.

[musicinmouth]

Email address for the head of PR for the office of the President of FIFA:

daniela.leeb@fifa.org

Anybody who feels like telling me to get over it, or that we should just accept the way we are treated can feck off. I don't think we should let FIFA, FFF, Henry off the hook just because we're a little country and sport is full of cheating. Our players fought their hearts out, we should stand up for them and fairness in sport.

[seanfhear]

Look I am over the Irish/French match

But is Blatter saying that cheating is okay so long as you get away with it.

Now that might be an unofficial rule in a lot of sports but you do not expect the top person in any sport to come out and declare this publically.

[Stuttgart88]

My disgust at Blatter's remarks is not the reaction of sore football fan who can't see the woods for the trees.

Any right minded person in any sport should be appalled at Blatter's comments.

Could you imagine if the head of the IRB came out and said he supported Shalk Burger because Burger was upset at being cited for gouging and being villified around the rugby world? No, you couldn't.

[Murfinator]

The head of the IRB would keep his head down and do his damn job and not let personal preference or financial benefit get in the way of the correct decision and reaction.

[Stuttgart88]

As Junior very correctly pointed out - can you imagine any Irish player calling Blatter?

A concerted PR attempt by Blatter's enemies (I'm sure he has many) could easily make big capital out of this. Seanfhear is bang on: Blatter is endorsing cheating as long as you're not caught.

[ArdeeBhoy]

OK, so Henry was trying to call him. "Sepp, Sepp, I'm really sad. I cheated in a high profile game and now there's been a big reaction."

So it seems like the moral of the story is that the closer you are to the head of FIFA the less likely it is you'll be criticised or sanctioned for cheating. Not once does Blatter suggest that Henry should expect to be accountable for his actions even if he does have sympathy for the extent of the backlash. He seems to suggest that cheating is OK as long as you admit it afterwards.

As mim says we shouldn't let the **** off the hook. And well done to all for highlighting.

It makes a mockery of FIFA's 'Fair Play' Code, or efforts to address, the lack of...

[elroy]

Email address for the head of PR for the office of the President of FIFA:

daniela.leeb@fifa.org

Anybody who feels like telling me to get over it, or that we should just accept the way we are treated can feck off. I don't think we should let FIFA, FFF, Henry off the hook just because we're a little country and sport is full of cheating. Our players fought their hearts out, we should stand up for them and fairness in sport.

Cheers I had intended writing a letter to FIFA re the seeding of the playoffs and the whole Henry debacle, good to have a name to put to it.

[mypost]

Note to Sepp:

Pulling a shirt is an advantage, handling a ball is breaking the rules.

Deliberate handball in open play in this sport is illegal, always was, and always will be. Whether you get caught or not, it's still illegal.

[grayzer1888]

I think we should refuse to fly the so-called ''Fair Play'' flag at all home matches from now on because it seems that fair play has gone out the window

[Noelys Guitar]

Incredible comments from Blatter. The head of one of the biggest sporting orgainisations in the world condoning cheating and cheats. I bet there are lawyers all over the place looking into what he is quoted as saying. And then he sneakily tries to lay all of the blame on the ref. What a knut.

[tiktok]

Even as someone firmly in the 'get over it' camp, I have to agree that Blatter is once again living up to his reputation as an idiot. I might even send an email myself.

[gaiscíoch]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programme...ma/5076282.stm

Full transcript of a BBC panorama report into corruption within FIFA.

Read it! It will make you wonder why any of us bother with football.

[irishultra]

Well Henry is a star of football in europe and irish players are nobodies on that level so it makes sense for henry to be in speaking terms with the head of fifa/uefa whatveer he is.

but that also is why this is bad. henry is meant to be a diplomat of football.

[Hibernian]

nothing shocks me about him anymore.

[jbyrne]

what on earth does he mean by this? the ref either saw it or he didnt. exactly what kind of "reflection" was there to be done??

Blatter added: "In the specific case of the Henry handball, the referee (Martin Hansson) should have taken the time to reflect rather than immediately awarding the goal."

in this case time is definately not a great healer. the more i think of what happened and the post match reaction (or lack of) by henry, domenech and FIFA the more angry i get. to go out of the WC in the way we did after a difficult 12 match campaign is very hard to take

[Mayo Red]

nothing shocks me about him anymore.

Same as that now. Blatter has always been on another planet and it's worse he's getting. He was silent for long enough and now with these comments he's only adding fuel to the fire!