The Swedish referee who failed to spot Thierry Henry's handball in the World Cup playoff between France and Ireland says the incident made him consider quitting. Martin Hansson said in Tuesday's edition of regional Swedish newspaper Sydostran that the criticism that followed made him wonder whether it was worth continuing his eight-year career as an international referee. "I thought: is the job really worth all this degradation that I have to hear? Maybe this is not my thing," said Hansson, adding that even his parents had been hounded by journalists wanting to photograph their house. Last week, Henry's handball set up an equalizer for teammate William Gallas in the playoff that 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 at the expense of the Irish. Although the handball appeared clear, it was not spotted by the referee or linesman and the goal stood. Ireland appealed for a replay but FIFA rejected it. The 38-year-old Hansson, who began his professional career as a referee in 1992, said he wasn't to blame and nor were his linesmen as all their views of the incident were obstructed. "I realize that it was not my fault. It was an unfortunate event that had big consequences for Ireland, but it wasn't the fault of the refereeing team," Hansson said. "At first, I thought all the fuss was just about the goal itself but it wasn't. What's more, the graphic (a graphic reproduction of the incident involving Henry) clears the whole refereeing team in this incident." He is due to return to refereeing in the Champions League on Dec. 8 or 9, and is looking forward to getting back on the pitch. "It feels good to get a match so soon after this unfortunate episode," Hansson said. "But best of all has been the support I've had from players and team officials." On Monday, Henry said the incident also pushed him to the brink of international retirement.
