Blatter says handball wasn't Henry's fault

Published Nov. 29, 2009 2:31 p.m. ET

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FIFA president Sepp Blatter says it wasn't Thierry Henry's responsibility to tell the referee he handled the ball in the buildup to France's goal against Ireland in the World Cup playoff. Henry handled the ball in the lead-up to William Gallas' equalizer in a 1-1 draw at Stade de France on Nov. 18 that gave France a 2-1 aggregate win and a place at next year's World Cup at the expense of the Irish. Blatter was quoted as saying in Sunday's edition of L'Equipe newspaper that it wasn't his Henry's "responsibility to tell the referee (Martin Hansson) " and that "the referee should have taken the time to reflect rather than immediately awarding the goal." Blatter said he called Henry because the Barcelona striker had tried to phone him.