Remember the infamous incident of the 1986 World Cup quarter final when Diego Maradona deliberately committed a handball which resulted in Argentina eliminating England? The handball from Thierry Henry which led to France going to South Africa next June while Ireland will have to watch the World Cup on TV is  probably as embarrassing. A lot has been written and said about the incident and about the man. I understand the frustration from the Irish team and all their supporters. Had things been reversed I would also have been angry at the manner in which France would have been eliminated. That said, looking at the bigger picture, Ireland put themselves in this situation. They haven’t played well enough to be finish first in their group which would have automatically sent them with SA. France, either. The point is you cannot blame the non-qualification of Ireland on Henry’s handball. This is looking at the reality will blinds on.

I, and many French people, are sad about the manner in which France booked their ticket to the World Cup and at the poor quality of the team. I feel sorry for Ireland but what is done is done. It’s time to move on.

I hope France will do better next year but I have my concerns. First and foremost I have concerns about the coach. But I guess we’ll see how it goes.