“the result of the match cannot be changed and the match cannot be replayed”
RTÉ reports FIFA’s official response to the FAI request to replay their World Cup play-off match against France. From the RTÉ report.
FIFA said in a statement: ‘FIFA has today 20 November 2009 replied to the request made by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) to replay the 2010 FIFA World Cup play-off match held on 18 November 2009 between France and the Republic of Ireland in Paris. ‘In the reply, FIFA states that the result of the match cannot be changed and the match cannot be replayed. As is clearly mentioned in the Laws of the Game, during matches, decisions are taken by the referee and these decisions are final.’
Adds The BBC report the statement by the French Football Federation [FFF]
“The FFF understands the disappointment and bitterness of the Irish players, management and supporters,” read a statement. “The federation never sought to deny the refereeing error which saw the equalising French goal allowed. “At the end of the match and because French football itself has suffered in the past by events of a similar nature, the FFF management expressed their regrets and sympathy to their Irish counterparts. “During matches, decisions are taken by the referee and these decisions are final. As a result, the result of the match cannot be changed and the match cannot be replayed. “The Fifa decision is binding and applies to both federations.”
Can someone tell me how FIFA changed the rules when it looked like a few of the big teams might not qaulify? I must have missed that…..Living in the states now I don’t follow it like I used to
They seeded the draw so they (the big teams) would avoid each other, and by implication, ensured the smaller teams would draw them.
Brian
The GAA apart, most big sporting orgs are run by fascists or, in the FAI’s case, gross incompetents. The officials do what they like. Formula 1, Olympics, FIFA, all the same.
And just to add to Mack’s comment they gave all the 2nd Home legs to the seeded teams which meant in France’s case they got to play the extra time period at home.
No doubt the jokes will be coming in thick and fast:
What does FIFA stand for?
Federation of French Inglorious ‘Andballers.
And there is a multitide of potential for jokes about Henry being a GAA player.
Let’s be honest – the FF’ers and the bankers have fucked the country over more than Henry could ever dream of. Yes, the result was disappointing, but shit happens. A lot of things in life aren’t fair, but ‘twas always so and always will be.
I know it’s a cliché, but at the end of the day it’s only a game and there are more importantt things in life. The supporters who travelled to Paris deserve some sympathy, but it’s hard to feel sorry for the players when they earn more in a week than most of us earn in a whole year. They’ve always got their big mansions, Porsches and trophy wives to go back to.
Cheating is an integral part of modern soccer anyway. Look how easily players go down after the slightest contact. That’s life.
Brian MacAodh
“Can someone tell me how FIFA changed the rules when it looked like a few of the big teams might not qaulify? I must have missed that…..Living in the states now I don’t follow it like I used to”
They didn´t didn´t really change the rules, they made them up as they went along.
FIFA hadn´t clarified that the draw for the play off matches would be seeded, so the presumption was it would be an open draw with ROI having as much chance of drawing Slovenia or Bosnia than being drawn aginst Russia or France.
As it happened, after the groups where finished they decided to seperate the 8 best placed runners up into 4 seeds and 4 non seeds for the purpose of the play off draw. This of course has led to accusations of favourtism to the bigger nations such as France and Russia. If FIFA had´ve clarified the situation beforehand they wouldn´t let themselves open to such accusations.
abucs
“And just to add to Mack’s comment they gave all the 2nd Home legs to the seeded teams which meant in France’s case they got to play the extra time period at home.”
No, actually the other three seeded teams where away in the second leg. At the time of the draw, they also drew who would play home first.
And just to add to Mack’s comment they gave all the 2nd Home legs to the seeded teams which meant in France’s case they got to play the extra time period at home.
No they didn’t..
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/newsid=1137055.html#russia+stunned+failure
Some teams just accepted they weren’t good enough and left it at that. But NOT the worlds’ biggest greetin’ bairns. The irish republic should be sponsored by Kleenex.
“The irish republic should be sponsored by Kleenex.”
And NI sponsored by Pampers!
Only kidding, but how much would a deal like that be worth to the economy…Wow! Great idea!
Thanks Dr Who.
When the announcement of the seedings were made we were also told (in Asia) the seeded team would play last, but as you say, the other seeded teams did play at home first, so i got it wrong.
..breaking news
Due to the ‘unbearable diplomatic pressure’ generated by recent protests by Irish fans outside the French embassy in Dublin and by the large number of Irish supporters who have sorrounded the French President’s Mr Sarkozy’s Paris mansion in what the French police were describing as “a loud but good humoured cordon un-sanitaire” the French Football Federation have agreed to consider an FAI request for a joint Franco-Irish team at next years world cup.
The FAI chief executive, John Delaney, in welcoming the news said we would prefer a joint team “as we would probably have taken a good hiding if there had been a replay” and claimed there was precedent for this approach “as Yugoslavia had also had a joint team which included not only Serbia and Croatia but a few other quare places I cant think of at this juncture.”. But Mr Delaney conceded he had not considered the difficulties arising from the fact that there are an uneven number of players in a footaball team but he said he was sure the Irish people would have full confidence in the FAI to sort what he described as this “unfortunate mathematical quirk”. He also denied that there might be difficulties arising from any apparent clash of styles and that Thierry Henry’s health would be in danger from his new team mates. When asked if Sepp Blatter, the head of FIFA, might be persuaded to agree to a joint team he said the Irish manager, Mr Trappatoni was considering making Mr Blatter an offer he might have some difficulty refusing.
Roy Keane, a vociferous opponent of the replay option, stated he had been in commuication with the Georgian FA who believed their own won World Cup progress was impeded by the decision to award a penalty to Ireland for an indicdent which they claimed “was nearer the half way line than the penalty area” and were demanding that “at least one of their players should be in any combined team”.
When news of the Georigan development was relayed to Mr Delaney he angrily rejected the idea and any suggestion of double standards and replied that “he would strangle that little fecking gypo”.
What about the boys in red?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf9fx4ipF4Q&translated=1
what could it all mean?
http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2009/1123/fifa_worldcup.html
That there going to give extraordinary handjobs all round.
This penalty is even worse that the Irish one agianst Georgia – but it was at least inside the penalty area – you have to watch the close-up view.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d53cw-SPI8&feature=related
It appears all is not lost after all.
Bono is set to meet Sepp Blater and my sister´s girlfriend´s cousin says that Blater has given the go ahead for Ireland to be in the World Cup.
Blater has a condition however that the Irish team be a team made up of NI and Roi and play under the peace flag. Blater was said to be moved by U2´s appearance in Berlin when they rebuilt the wall and now is a Bono convert. My cousins friend´s aunt Olivia said that Bono had indeed gave Blater baptism and played keepy uppies with him.
The stumbling block is the nordies, but the IFA are known to be disciples of Bono as well, so all could be well.
Anyway this is what the divine Bono had to say.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/8387573.stm
It’s embarassing now. Let it go!
i agree kensei. the FAI are a pathetic bunch
Keano’s rant seems fair enough now. FAI are utterly useless. Did you see Blatters reaction? Humiliating
Brady has responded.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/dec/01/sepp-blatter-embarrassment-fifa-liam-brady
On a previous thread about the eligibility row, I had mentioned that with the FAI there was so much outside interferance that it could end with them making enemies out of FIFA. Dermot Aherne implying they could go down the civil rights route if FIFA didn´t rule in the FAI favour against the IFA is just one example of this interferance of govt. in sport. He is also on record calling Henry a cheat, of course not a word he would associate with Irish swimmer Michelle Smith or self proclaimed performance enhancement taker Tony Cascarino.
Over the couple of weeks this latest fiasco has gone out of all perspective and has already taken over the Maradona incident as the most tedious sporting injustice mope of all time. Comments from the Irish government, dodgy xenophobia in the press and now of course His Holiness Bono in on the act, if I was Sepp Blatter I would probably be thinking of ways to cut these guys down to size.
Brady whinging that Blatter went public is a bit rich considering the public moping that has gone on from the FAI camp constantly now for what seems like months. Blatter remarked that Costa Rica had a goal ruled out for offside against Uruguay when it wasn´t, he probably brought this up to highlight that these sort of things happen all the time, if special dispensation can be made for ROI then it must be made for everyone.
If the suits at the IFA wern´t so incompetent they would be out there kissing FIFA´s reps arses trying to reignite the eligibility row, encourage Blatter to get a bit of pay back. Incompetency is of course the one thing that the two Irish associations share.
Doctor>>Watch it in real time, it is hand ball and it is an instinctive reaction.
The match won´t be replayed, Henry´s reputation is intact, he won´t be abused anywhere as long as he doesn´t pub crawl in Dublin<<
What?? You’ve obviously never played footy. Handling the ball like that when you’ve been playing footy since you were about 3 years old is not an instinctive reaction. Henry is a cheat. He never had much of a reputation, other than as an arrogant asshole, unless you are a gooner of course. To listen to Henry and the FFF try to pin the blame and destroy the reputation of a ref is pathetic.
If Fifa are to recover any of what’s left of their reputation henry should be punished with a ban that excluded him from the first 3-4 games of the tournament.
Gram
Don’t fan the flames, he likes to take pleasure in the misery of the Irish nation. He is a man who thinks Gibson should be forced to play for a team who he does not wish to play for. The man is probably deluded enough to think Paddy McCourt and McGinn were childhood Northern Ireland fans.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/advertising/the-curse-of-gillette-1830663.html
Not just a bad month for the FAI.
Gram
“What?? You’ve obviously never played footy.”
and
“Henry is a cheat. He never had much of a reputation, other than as an arrogant asshole, unless you are a gooner of course.”
I think it´s because I have played to a reasonable level that I wouldn´t make comments like that. Henry has been and will remain a highly respected figure in the game. The reaction to the auditorium at Blatter´s press conference yesterday showed how the FAI are viewed. A laughing stock.
“To listen to Henry and the FFF try to pin the blame and destroy the reputation of a ref is pathetic.”
No, I think you will find that the reputation of the ref has been questioned by the FAI, who criticised his selection. They and Liam Brady implied and still do that the ref seen the hand ball and deliberately ignored it. Of course the diallowed French goal and his sharpness in not awarding Anelka a penalty, they conveniently forget.
Peter Fyfe
“Don’t fan the flames, he likes to take pleasure in the misery of the Irish nation.”
Oh are you in displeasure and now speaking for the entire Irish nation. No, like other contributors like kensei I find it this latest twist embarassing, me being Irish and all.
“He is a man who thinks Gibson should be forced to play for a team who he does not wish to play for. ”
Darron Gibson stated he never had any problem in representing NI, he fell out with the IFA over being released to attend a Man United trial. I don´t think any player should be forced to play for any team, can you give me instances where this has occurred with quotes and links etc. I am of the opinion that the rules do favour the FAI and the IFA although honest in their intent to protect their pool of players handled the whole situation terribly. They should have been lobbying FIFA to change the rules, not enforce them as to their interpretation.
“The man is probably deluded enough to think Paddy McCourt and McGinn were childhood Northern Ireland fans.”
Two great prospects for the long term NI team, one wonders why the only people who have a problem with them representing NI are people like Peter Fyfe.
Good common sense take on events by Gerard Houlier.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/8388335.stm
“He is also on record calling Henry a cheat, of course not a word he would associate with Irish swimmer Michelle Smith or self proclaimed performance enhancement taker Tony Cascarino.”
Ah in hindsight now it looks like Michelle Smyth won those 3 gold and a bronze medals fair and square. In anyway they were never taken away from her. She played ‘them’ at their own game and won. As with Henry with the handball, it is winning that matters ……and to win at all costs no matter what. That is the message of sport ….and indeed life.
Please stop this Henry handball incident now folks. The FAI made their appeals as any football organization would do….including the IFA and the FA etc…
So Henry’s handball incident….. RIP!
Roll on the Euro qualifiers.