The biggest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist

Was Henrys blatant Handball in the recent world cup play off game really out of character?

Gerard Houllier has waded into the Henry Handball argument recently with his ‘Henry is not a cheat’ comment. Arsene Wenger is also adamant that Henry is ‘not that sort of player’ (The same Arsene Wenger that was annoyed that Martin Taylor was called ‘not that sort of player’ after the accidental leg break to Eduardo last season calling it a comment that ‘essentially means nothing’)

Henry blatantly handled the ball when the opportunity arose; he then gallingly celebrated the goal to further hoodwink the referee into this work of fiction he was making up as he went along. He also sat with Irish players after the game in an attempt to perhaps look earnest in his attempts at consolation.

He went on to explain his feelings of “abandonment”, and being “truly alone”, for a few days after the match to French Sports Paper L’Equipe and also mentioned that he had considered quitting the game altogether as a result of the issue.

There is also the matter of his press release offering to replay the game hours after FIFA had said this wasn’t an option.

In response to Houllier I say this. Henry is a cheat, a very obvious cheat at that. In fact this whole argument has sprung up because he cheated; he cheated Ireland out of a world cup place and cheated France into one. I saw it, as did millions of other people. And his behaviour in the wake of this has been nothing short of that of a guilty man attempting to cover up what he has done and protect his marketability with continuing acts of childlike insincerity.

But what does Thierry Henry stand for as a footballer? Is he this bastion of all that is good in the game who should not be judged harshly by this one aberration as we are being told by the experts?

This is a man who despite having 2 years remaining upon his Arsenal contract ‘demanded’ a 5 million pound signing on bonus in 2006 (he was already under contract having signed an improved deal 2 years previously) and pay rise to £5 million for what was going to be his final season (Demanding £10 million in total for one season), otherwise he would leave to play for another club there and then. This to the club he ‘loves’ and is never afraid of telling people how much so.

This is also the man who feigned injury to win a free kick in a world cup game against Spain in 2006 by clutching his face (despite replays clearly showing no contact between Carlos Puyol and Henrys face) then avoiding answering questions about it when pressed after the game. He did the same in the champions’ league final of that year, again, with Carlos Puyol on the receiving end of his deception.

FIFA are claiming that the cheating element is ancillary to the whole debate of who qualifies for the World Cup despite the fact that they have been pushing a fair play drive specifically for these play off games. For them to then have to defend Henry for celebrating such an obvious foul to further cheat the referee and game would clearly not sit well with them, but would act as a brilliant microscope through which the hypocrisy of this corrupt organisation would be further revealed, if only to a small extent.

For someone with such dubious loyalty to the ‘club he loves’ and an outspoken advocate of harsh bans to those who win by cheating. (comments made in 2006 following the champions league final where he also said “Marquez and Puyol cheated, I don’t have the mentality to cheat. Maybe that’s my mistake.”) This cannot tarnish his reputation but merely enforce just what sort of cheat he is; the sort who doesn’t want anybody else to find out.

Ironically FIFA would do well to utilize the talents of such an individual to act as a spokesman on their behalf.

‘Welcome to FIFA; We’re ruining the game, making as much money as we can, ignoring anybody who questions what we do and you lot are paying for it’