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It is official. Today, Ireland was denied by FIFA in their efforts to replay the match which sent France to the World Cup on a controversial hand ball by Thierry Henry. This was expected coming from FIFA, seeing that France was the ideal team to advance to the World Cup in their minds.

FIFA’s statement reads: “FIFA has today, 20 November 2009, replied to the request made by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) to replay the 2010 FIFA World Cup play-off match held on 18 November 2009 between France and the Republic of Ireland in Paris. The result of the match cannot be changed and the match cannot be replayed. As is clearly mentioned in the Laws of the Game, during matches, decisions are taken by the referee and these decisions are final.”

Even Thierry Henry has come out and stated that a replay would be in everyone’s best interest. That is saying a lot for a player to come out and admit that he was wrong. He does still emphasize that it was truly an “instinctive reaction.” Henry has always been a classy player on the pitch throughout his illustrious career, and followed suit in this situation.