FiFA bunged the Irish a few Euros to forget about the Henry handball

[Hampster Gull]

Is this where the wembley money went?

 

[oneillco]

Fifa paid the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) to stop legal action over Thierry's Henry's handball in Ireland's World Cup play-off defeat by France in 2009, it has been claimed.

FAI chief executive John Delaney said the association believed it had a legal case against Fifa.

A fee of 5 million euros (£3.6m) was then agreed to drop a case against the organisation, Delaney said.


Well the Irish FA were understandably pissed off and in a knee jerk reaction decided to challenge the result; common sense would suggest that it would have been booted out of court, but what I think is more telling is that FIFA were willing to back-up the money truck to make the problem go away. If I was in the IFA I would have thought "well obviously we aren't going to win, but 5 million euros is 5 million euros". I strongly suspect that this is the corrupt kind of shenanigans that FIFA have been up to...

 

[Eeyore]

The Irish are right, for their part, in saying it was a legal settlement. How you interpret this rather strange agreement from FIFA's end is another matter.

 

[DavePage]

So who is worse?
FIFA for offering or the Irish for keeping it shut

 

[dazzer6666]

So who is worse?
FIFA for offering or the Irish for keeping it shut

Equally culpable.

 

[Perfidious Albion]

So, imagine that we lose a cup tie because of a blatant penalty not given, or handball not seen. Our opponents get a lucrative next tie against Man U.

Does this mean that we can sue the F.A .?
If that is a precedent, it will happen, sure enough.....and it is all wrong!

 

[ditchy]

So who is worse?
FIFA for offering or the Irish for keeping it shut

I bet they were given the money by FIlthFA on the understanding they kept quiet .

 

[KZNSeagull]

According to the interview I heard on the TV last night from an Irish Radio Station, this settlement came about after Blatter had laughed about it after the event, so the FAI chief exec went to see him and swore at Blatter a lot. As you would. That was on the Saturday, the agreement was drafted and signed the following Monday.

 

[Cian]

Head of the FAI is basically Blatter-lite so this doesn't surprise me

What does surprise me is his predecessor who stepped down over a scandal involving his corporate credit card is tarting around the media acting whiter than white and insisting on "transparency".

 

[Mattywerewolf]

So, imagine that we lose a cup tie because of a blatant penalty not given, or handball not seen. Our opponents get a lucrative next tie against Man U.

Does this mean that we can sue the F.A .?
If that is a precedent, it will happen, sure enough.....and it is all wrong!

Yes, it sort of implies FIFA paid the ref to make the decision otherwise they have no liability for an honest mistake!

 

[Gwylan]

Yes, it sort of implies FIFA paid the ref to make the decision otherwise they have no liability for an honest mistake!

But you do wonder. Who would FIFA rather have had in the finals:France or Ireland? I think we all know the answer to that. Normally, this would be in the ranks of conspiracy theories but when you get an organisation as fundamentally corrupt as FIFA, you start questioning it.

And if you question that, you can then look at South Korea beating Italy, which is probably the worst refereeing performance I've ever seen, but awfully convenient for the hosts reaching the semi final. Italy claimed they'd be cheated out of a place but we all put it down to sour grapes - perhaps it wasn't. Is this another conspiracy theory? We'll never know but it's shocking that it's even being thought about.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

But you do wonder. Who would FIFA rather have had in the finals:France or Ireland? I think we all know the answer to that. Normally, this would be in the ranks of conspiracy theories but when you get an organisation as fundamentally corrupt as FIFA, you start questioning it.

And if you question that, you can then look at South Korea beating Italy, which is probably the worst refereeing performance I've ever seen, but awfully convenient for the hosts reaching the semi final. Italy claimed they'd be cheated out of a place but we all put it down to sour grapes - perhaps it wasn't. Is this another conspiracy theory? We'll never know but it's shocking that it's even being thought about.

Nothing is ruled out as far as FIFA are concerned. Perhaps FIFA are the Illuminati?

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Yes, it sort of implies FIFA paid the ref to make the decision otherwise they have no liability for an honest mistake!

Didn't they?

 

[Gullflyinghigh]

Yes, it sort of implies FIFA paid the ref to make the decision otherwise they have no liability for an honest mistake!

I'm not sure that it does imply that really, I'm more inclined now to think that the FAI are the ones that have more to be ashamed of by even thinking of going through the courts. Take your lumps.

Sure, the payment being made (and so quietly) does make it looks dodgy straight away but if it made a protracted legal dispute (what other kind is there) over a bad decision/mistake that would generate endless bad publicity (despite likely not actually resulting in anything) go away then I find it hard to blame FIFA really (well, that much).

Obviously, ideal world, they should have let the FAI take their whining through the courts regardless.

 

[gregbrighton]

Nothing is ruled out as far as FIFA are concerned. Perhaps FIFA are the Illuminati?

It does seem it contains figures of the wealthy elite who will weald their power by fair means or foul to get their hands on the filthy lucre.

 

[BBassic]

Surely Fifa has to be disbanded and a new body formed. I don't think these scandals are gonna end anytime soon and that's not even mentioning all the shocking human rights violations taking place in Qatar just to build the fancy stadiums!

This.

With all of this very dirty laundry being aired very publicly I cannot see how FIFA can continue.

Even with Blatter gone who in football, fans and professional bodies, will put any faith in them?

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

I think the pay out was more to do with the disgraced Blatter laughing at them after it happened.

I don't actually see much wrong with the pay out, as it would have gone to court and it was an out of court settlement to stop this happening.

 

[seagulls4ever]

This is entirely above board and is called an out of court settlement, which happens all the time. Think Sheff Utd and West Ham r.e. Tevez

It might show the culture of Fifa but it certainly doesn't show any evidence of corruption or bribes.

 

[Mellotron]

But you do wonder. Who would FIFA rather have had in the finals:France or Ireland? I think we all know the answer to that. Normally, this would be in the ranks of conspiracy theories but when you get an organisation as fundamentally corrupt as FIFA, you start questioning it.

And if you question that, you can then look at South Korea beating Italy, which is probably the worst refereeing performance I've ever seen, but awfully convenient for the hosts reaching the semi final. Italy claimed they'd be cheated out of a place but we all put it down to sour grapes - perhaps it wasn't. Is this another conspiracy theory? We'll never know but it's shocking that it's even being thought about.

Did we all put it down to sour grapes? I'm not a Conspiracy Theorist whatsoever but I definitely thought that one was dodgy and so did many people I know.

 

[GT49er]

Strange one. Difficult to see how the Irish would have had a case against FIFA for an (albeit shocking) error by the ref. Still, if millions of Euros are going begging, can we have our share for that equaliser just before half time against Germany that may have changed the whole complexion of the game if any of the damn fool officials had bothered to notice it crossed the line?