With FIFA President Sepp Blatter proclaiming publicly that Ireland deserves a special award of “Moral Compensation” following the Thierry Henry 2010 World Cup Playoff handball situation, international defender Richard Dunne issued a strong response making sure everyone knows he wants none of it.
Via Guardian
Asked about Blatter’s latest idea, Dunne responded: “What is that? Who gets it? It’s probably just taking the piss again — ‘give them a plaque instead of going to the World Cup’. I would be very surprised if Robbie Keane would be happy to step forward and collect it.”
Dunne added: “I think Mick McCarthy [the former Republic of Ireland manager] said it before about Fifa. It will always be the same. Unless you have the financial backing, or are a country with great sponsorship, you’re not going to be welcome. We haven’t got the financial muscle to fight against France. They [Fifa] would rather 60 million French people watch the World Cup than a couple of million Irish. That’s the way it is. The thing is they’re all French there as well.”
Fifa’s disciplinary committee will meet to investigate Henry’s handball and it is possible that the Barcelona striker will be suspended for one or more of France’s World Cup matches. Dunne, however, said that would be no consolation. “It really does not affect me one little bit because whether he plays in the World Cup or he doesn’t, I won’t be,” said the 30-year-old. “Whatever Fifa do will probably be wrong anyway.”
Dunne claimed that the Football Association of Ireland knew their attempt to get the match replayed was destined to fail. “From the moment the seedings rule was changed and we had to play France… the whole thing is run by the French and then we get knocked out, there was no way that they [Fifa] were going to replay the game. Obviously the FAI have to try to do everything they can on behalf of the country and the players but they knew themselves that there was no chance.”
McCarthy had questioned how Dunne could sit alongside Henry at the final whistle in the Stade de France but the former Manchester City and Everton player said that at the time he had not seen the Frenchman’s offence. “A few people would say I would have done this or that to him but that wouldn’t get us to the World Cup and it would probably get me a ban forever,” said Dunne. “It’s over and done with and, whatever I do or anyone else does, it’s not going to change anything.”
Dunne did admit that he was surprised by the level of support that Ireland had received from the wider football world but he also acknowledged that there comes a time when the issue must be put to bed. “We’re not going to a World Cup and that’s disappointing but we can’t just sit around and mope forever. It was a difficult couple of days after the match. It’s one of those things that I could dwell on for the rest of my life but that’s not going to get me anywhere, so you just move on.”
