France - Football

Henry thought about quitting, but will see France to South Africa

Article published on the 2009-11-23 Latest update 2009-11-23 18:57 TU

Thierry Henry
(Photo: Reuters)

French striker Thierry Henry broke his post-handball silence Monday, saying that the controversy following France’s World Cup qualification over Ireland made him seriously consider hanging up his boots, though he’s now committed to taking Les Bleus to South Africa.

“The day after the match, and the following day, I felt alone, really alone,” Henry said in the interview published in L’Equipe sports newspaper, admitting that he considered quitting the French national team for a few days following the outpouring of scorn against him.

The French Football Federation only came to the defense of its all-time best goal-scorer after he asked them to do so, he said, prompting these feelings of being hung out to dry.

“In spite of everything that’s just happened, the feeling of being abandoned, I will not let my country down,” Henry said.

Henry regrets his post-goal celebration, which he defends as being driven by the emotion of the moment, saying that it didn’t help the situation. But once the gravity of the situation set in, he was determined to do the right thing.

“After the match, I went to the press conference to say that I used my hand. I could very well have gone out the back door without saying a word. But I didn’t flee from my responsibilities,” he said.

Erik Bieldeman, chief football writer at L'Equipe magazine, told RFI that we shouldn't take this kind of talk too seriously.

“I think it was just a little moment of loneliness,” he says.

Henry’s handball has reignited the debate around the use of video replay technology. French government spokesperson Frederic Lefebvre wrote to FIFA following last week’s game to ask that the sport’s rules be changed to avoid this kind of result in the future.

Bieldeman doesn’t think this is a likely result.

“Errors and the human side of football makes this sport legendary,” he says.

As for Henry, who lost a Cup final in 2001 to Liverpool under similar circumstances, he sees it as part of the game.

“You can always forgive, but you can’t always forget,” he says.