Nick Wright previews this weekend's clash between York City Knights and Hull FC
Alex Reid looks at whether the once ever-present appearance of English clubs in the later stages of the Champions League is set to become a thing of the past
Craig Dobson looks at QPR's decision to sack Neil Warnock and replace him with Mark Hughes
James Tompkinson reviews an excellent pre-season victory for the York City Knights against Yorkshire rivals Leeds Rhinos
Firstly, there is no doubt that Henry deliberately handled the ball. The replay shows an initial strike on his arm he could not avoid followed by a second deliberate flick of the hand to keep the ball in play. “A cut and dried case of cheating,” many cry. “Clear evidence for a replay,” Irish politicians declare.
But the truth is it is a glaring example of the true face of modern football, one which we may bemoan but one we cannot and should not punish Thierry Henry for.
It is true that a great yarn about sporting generosity warms the heart of any fan, and is one of the great attributes of sport that makes it what it is. But this element of the game in football has been defeated by its success. As salaries skyrocket and the stakes rise ever higher, footballers began to act like any other paid professional – they will do anything to reach the goals of their employment. Footballers have no obligation to be role models and no obligation to play “in the right spirit”; they just win football matches.
Sport, and most definitely football, is played in the reflection of its contemporary society, examples of which perforate cultural history, such as Mussolini’s Italy, Stalin’s Russia and Peron’s Argentina. The link of sporting and national identity is central to understanding football’s evolution. So what does the Henry handball tell us about 2009?
In the modern capitalist society, our success or failure is determined by searching for and attaining a competitive edge. To maintain our status we are all under pressure to achieve, whether it is to get a high paid job or push for a lucrative promotion. Football is just the same.
The moment the ball hit Henry’s arm he was all too aware of the opportunity to get his side into the World Cup finals and his last chance to play in the most illustrious competition in football. The majority of footballers from every nation and any of our beloved clubs would have done the same thing.
It is sad that football has lost its sportsmanship (a notion fully hit home by the fact FIFA have to enforce it nowadays) but it is a fact of life. The real issue that comes out of last night’s game is the desperate need for video technology, where football is yet to keep up with our 21st century media age.
Hopefully the significance of this recent episode will help Blatter et al to pull their heads out of the sand and listen to the desperate clamour from fans and players alike to allow video evidence. This is the true travesty of Ireland’s departure, and hopefully the Henry issue will not tarnish a wonderful player’s career for an act that was just part of his job description.
I remember Thierry Henry playing for Arsenal against Southampton in the 2003 FA cup final, and in the opening minutes a Southampton defender tried to haul him down in the area, but somehow Henry managed to stay on his feet and get a (unusually bad) shot away.
So many strikers would've gone down for the penalty then, but as an Arsenal fan I was very proud that Henry was so honest. I guess he realised you need to cheat to get into the Barcelona team.
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