Henry Escapes FIFA Ban: Cheaters Win

Yesterday’s FIFA decision to not reprimand Thierry Henry for his now infamous handball during extra-time of the France v Ireland World Cup playoff second leg sends a clear message to all law abiding professionals – cheaters win.

Retributive justice is a legal theory that considers punishment, if proportionate, a morally acceptable response to a crime – “let the punishment fit the crime.” In the case set before FIFA officials in Geneva, Thierry Henry deliberately handled the ball twice in the build-up to William Gallas‘ crucial equalising goal sealing France‘s passage to the World Cup. Ireland were knocked out. Although not guaranteed passage to South Africa had Gallas‘ goal been disallowed, Ireland could have scored again in extra-time or progressed on penalties. With a football crime clearly committed in front of a global audience, surely it was just a matter of time before FIFA rightfully punished the offender? Not so.

Thierry Henry has escaped all punishment for his crime against football. Now we’ve never been a proponent of banning players and we think Henry has been a fantastic role model to young footballers over the past decade, but in this instance prohibiting France from selecting Henry in their first World Cup group match would have been the smallest measure of retribution for a crime that still aches Irish hearts.

While FIFA suits grapple for legal documents to defend their feeble verdict, we all know they’re only masking their ineptitude. We fear for the game when those at the top are too weak to clamp down on rule-breakers. Who says the punishment fits the crime? Not FIFA.

Henry's moment of madness captured forever