Thierry Henry says the outcry over his hand ball in France's World Cup playoff against Ireland pushed him to the brink of international retirement, and the Barcelona striker is upset that he was not backed by his own federation.
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Henry spoke about the fall out from his already infamous hand ball incident that has tarnished his reputation in separate interviews with sports daily L'Equipe and a French radio station on Monday.
Henry has been upset by the virulent criticism he received from former players and politicians, but worse still for the veteran forward with 117 caps and 51 goals was the lack of support from the French football federation.
"I had the (France) coach (Raymond Domenech) and many, many calls from players, coaches, people I had lost contact with who supported me," Henry said Monday night on RTL radio station. "But those who should have come to the front line to support me - to appease what was happening in France and particularly to appease what was happening in England ... no one came."
Henry's hand ball before passing for defender William Gallas to score helped give France a 1-1 draw with Ireland and a 2-1 win on aggregate, advancing the team to next year's tournament in South Africa.
Henry said he received no contact from the FFF, whose president Jean-Pierre Escalettes is a staunch supporter of Domenech, until after he had released a statement apologizing and saying it would be fair to replay the match.
"It's a fact that there was no support. It really shocked me," Henry said.
"The day after the match and the next day, I felt alone, really alone," Henry told sports daily L'Equipe on Monday. "Oh, yes I did (consider quitting). Friday, when everything had gone too far, I was very worked up."
