Henry considered quitting international football

Calm down everybody!!!!! it was just another play in professional soccer. There has been countless instances where the refs get the call wrong, and gazillion times when the players INTENTIONALLY or UNINTENTIONALLY commit a fault. Get over it, that is part of what Blatter wants to keep for posterity, CONTROVERSY, HUMAN FACTOR, JUST A BUNCH OF GUYS PLAYING BALL.

I just remembered Maradona's hand ball in '86...even a hand ball tells you how smart, clever, and unrighteous a player could be and still be part of the fun and is part of the memories.

To all of you that want to turn soccer into a legal matter, please take a hike!

For Christ sake! The guy did not break someone’s leg in order to achieve the goal!!! That for example is wrong and should be punished, not a hand ball!!!!

Please!!!!!

Brian post 175. your parents should be ashamed to have given birth to such a loser. You are a waste of sperm.

Brian post 175. You are a @#$%.

Its one thing to handle a ball and oh yes those of us that have played the game including myself realize that this happens all the time, intentional, accidental, But he did it twice on the same play !!talk all u want about the Ref hear but once is bad enough, put it down to the pace of the game a reaction whatever but how many times do u have to watch the video to see he controlled it a second time also ??? Pls enough with integrity etc etc, The Ref was at fault and Henry also.. and rightfully so his charachter and career will and should be tarnished because of this, Watch the video u can be excused once but 2 times on the same play, and as for the linesmen ?? well under 12 games they should be ruling on next ... french soccer federation and FIFA SHOULD BE EMBARASSED AND ASHAMED,

If you have never gotten away with a hand ball, then you have never played football (soccer). I got away with many of them, most of them accidental. A few were intentional, "oh sh**" reactions to the play. It isn't Henry's fault that the ref missed it.

As posted before, the Ref is the only one that should be held accountable for his bad no call. All you people bagging on Henry have obviously never played soccer(football) before. Hand balls happen all the time and in every game. It is just a natural reaction to touch the ball. It is just magnified based on the importance of the game.
Blame the Referee not Henry, and while you are at it, blame yourself for your own ignorance. If you are so worried about the "integrity of the game" , don't watch. Or maybe watch the video of the girl from new Mexico, then you can really complain about "the integrity of the game" . Please do us all a favor and forget about soccer again and go back to watching baseball or basketball or the NFL. Those are all high integrity sports.

Ok lets get something straight... handling the ball does not make Henry a cheater... he committed a foul that was not seen by the ref... that is like saying when Gatusso tackles someone from behind...again... he is a cheater... a dirty player maybe.. but not a cheater... Henry admitted he handled it... so he isn't a liar... missed calls happen in every game.. trust me.. i am a ref... :( according the the FIFA law book... it is not a fould until the ref blows his whistle to ackowledge the infraction of the laws of the game.. It is a terrible way to loose... but that is the "beauty" of the game....

- Ngonidzashe-
I like your comment, it's perfectly said. This happens from time to time in football and it has happen
to some of the greatest players of all time. There's not much you can do as a player in that situation, secondly the ref did not see it so you can't blame him for making that call as well. I feel bad for the irish players, they played that hearts out and deserved the win or a least a replay of the match.

Henry, there is really nothing new about what you did. Some of these happen so fast that you do not have control over the reflex. I have seen it happen even on training and the only thing a coach can do is discourage the habit. The ref is totally right because he did not see the handball. He could not change his decision on the advice of the keeper. So many players have made dives in the penalty area and got rewarded. So it happens. A fifth referee maybe to watch that angle would do. For the losers, it was not your day. Sorry.

Victor -

I never said Henry did. But everyone seems to think he should have. I'm asking if anyone honestly thinks an Irish player - or any player anywhere in that situation - would have done differently. It's a fair question since everyone is villifying him for not coming clean. Handballs happen all the time in football - often deliberate (anyone watching free kicks these days? The defenders are now jumping with their arms in the air to deflect the ball) - but Henry is taking extra heat because of the gravity of the situation (playoff final) and the perception that he should have called it on himself (when NO ONE ever does).

Lets face it, his hand changed the outcome of the game, if FIFA said the result cannot be change, then they still can suspend him for not unsportman like conduct. Like ban him for life, that will teach others would be to cheater to think twice or they will have to honor the intergrity of sportmanship of the game of soccer.

this idiot did not fess up in the "moment" as you put it...and the only reason
he did afterward if because its on tv, so cut the crap about fessing up in the
"moment"

If Robbie Keane had been the one to use his hands to put Ireland through, do you think he would have fessed up in the moment?

you are a cheat, a disgraceful representative of the game, and should get out!
Maybe go play back to your real homeland.

Hey Henry - the Oakland Raiders are looking for a good wide-receiver! Since you seem to be good with your hands - want a job?

153. Posted by adrien a Tue - Proud?! You have got to be kidding!! Proud of intentionally handling the ball to gain control so he could pass it? After the match he admitted using his hand so he knew the consequences of his actions. However, the blame should be put on the Ref for not calling such a blatant foul. Who knows, had the goal been disallowed and the match played on, the French may have won anyhow, but they would have won fair and legitimate. As it is, Henry and the entire French team have been labeled as cheaters!!

What does this guy want? The French have already said they would not replay the game or make amends so what is his problem? I have watched the replay of the incident and there is no doubt that he intentionally used his hand to control the ball before passing it. However, the Ref - Martin Hansson I think, should have called the handball and disallowed the goal! He saw it but then lied saying he didn't see it! Because of his stupidity, one man's reputation will be tarnished forever and one Country's dreams were shattered! Yes, Henry intentionally handled the ball but the Ref should have called it thus the blame should go to the Ref!

why should all the people that henry is talking about come out and support him? he cheated himself,the team and the entire country into the world cup, and eliminated another country by deliberately touching the ball twice with his arm and hand.

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The game did not stop when the hand ball goal was allowed,extra time penalties lots to go by and Ireland was looking very tired already, the game finished in France's favour dont change rules after a the game.Sorry Ireland good luck next time.

The Irish team should drop their constant whining, this is not the first time that handballs happen in soccer, in the 9-1 mauling that Wigan took against Tottenham their only goal came from a handball, should the scorer of the goal be tared for the rest of his life?
And second France was dominating the game in the second half, was denied a clear penalty kick in the first half and is a way better side than Ireland save the uninspired coaching from Domenech.
The Irish should drop the crying and get more creativity in their one dimensional soccer.

There's nothing new under the sun!!!!!! It's not the first time and it will never be the last. Henry is not the first person to do that. The great Maradona did same!!!!!! What was the outcome? Nothing. One thing we all should understand is that politics exists in football. No more, no less.

Henry is full of crap. His become a cheap shot since his last season at Arsenal. Constantly playing off sides and other less acceptable cheaper tricks to get his glory. He knows that international football is not played with his hands, no matter what. That's absolutely not acceptable in the code of the true hard working player. Aside from protocol and codes...European Football is played with everything EXCEPT the hands. Henry has reached a point in his life where he knows he can play around the system to win. Where he can work less, play less football, and just wait for a cheap opportunity for an undeserved goal cheap opportunistic hand baller.

This whole episode is unbelievable. Things like this happen all the time in sports. Every player in the world would have done the same thing in that position. It's the same thing as americn football players breaking people's fingers in a pile during a fumble or pushing off a defender to get a better shot off in a basketball game. One can only hope that this doesn't bring replay to a sport that has been virtually untouched by technology aside from a the integrity of the ball and the shoes the players wear.