Henry in clear after FIFA left powerless to respond

Thierry Henry has escaped punishment for his handball against the Republic of Ireland after FIFA's disciplinary committee ruled they had no power to sanction the France striker.
By The Newsroom
Published 19th Jan 2010, 10:15 BST
Updated 19th Jan 2010, 10:15 BST

FIFA president Sepp Blatter had referred Henry's case to the disciplinary committee last month, saying it was "blatant unfair play".

But the committee met yesterday and decided there was "no legal foundation" for them to deal with the case.

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Under FIFA's current rules, only the illegal use of a hand to prevent a goal being scored is covered in relation to possible sanctions.

The decision means the 32-year-old former Arsenal player will not face a ban for any of France's matches in the World Cup finals this summer.

FIFA said in a statement: "The disciplinary committee reached the conclusion that there was no legal foundation for the committee to consider the case because handling the ball cannot be regarded as a serious infringement as stipulated in article 77a of the FIFA disciplinary code.

"There is no other legal text that would allow the committee to impose sanctions for any incidents missed by match officials."

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Henry's handball in the run-up to William Gallas's decisive goal in the World Cup play-off qualifier ended the Republic's dreams of reaching the finals in South Africa.

The Football Association of Ireland were infuriated by the goal and demanded a replay, then even suggested they should be allowed to go to the World Cup as a 33rd team.

FIFA dismissed their demands but did agree to have another look at the possibility of using video evidence in the future, and referred the Barcelona striker's handball case to their disciplinary body,

Henry's defence yesterday argued successfully that FIFA's disciplinary code does not give the committee the power to punish such incidents.

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The decision will be welcomed by those who argued it was unfair for Henry to be singled out when so many other players commit handball offences and are not punished.

When asked about his referral last month, Blatter said: "This is a matter of the disciplinary committee and it's not a question of this player or another – it was a blatant unfair playing and was shown all around the world."

Related topics:FIFAFranceRepublic of IrelandArsenalSouth Africa