Henry handball row fuels calls for video, extra officials

LONDON (AFP) - Thierry Henry's handball that helped France reach the World Cup finals triggered fresh calls for referees to be given more help to get decisions right, either from video technology or extra officials.

FIFA has so resisted pressure to allow officials to review tough-to-call incidents on video as happens in both codes of rugby, tennis and cricket.

Opponents of such moves argue that video evidence is often inconclusive and that the process of watching would interrupt the flow of the game.

But this season has seen the experimental introduction of two extra officials for matches in the Europa League. Stationed on goallines, the officials are intended to act as a 'human camera' helping referees spot fouls, diving and other misdemeanours in the penalty area.

The experiment has had mixed reviews from players and officials so far, but Alex McLeish, the former Scotland manager now in charge at Birmingham, believes the system would have ensured that Henry's handball would have been spotted on Wednesday evening.

"The extra official would have seen that given that the referee's assistant on the far side didn't really have a view of it and the referee was unsighted," McLeish argued.

Steve Bruce, the Sunderland manager, said Henry's use of his hand to control the ball before crossing for William Gallas to score in extra-time would go down as one of the most controversial incidents in football history.

"Surely it is time now for technology to come into it," Bruce said. "I can sympathise with the referee - even the television didn't pick it up until the replay - but it was obvious from the reaction of the Irish something untoward had happened.

"It took 15 seconds on the TV to establish it was blatant handball - and he didn't handball it once, but twice.

"It might be human error but we can change that with the technology we have got. That has got to be the way forward."

That view was backed by Gordon Taylor, the chief executive of England's Professional Footballers' Association.

"For a sport that is so high profile, with so much money and so much prestige at stake, video technology has to be used.

"You can bring in as many assistant referees behind the goals as you like but, until there is technology, there will continue to be debatable decisions.

"Rugby, tennis, cricket and American sports have all embraced technology and it can actually add to the excitement of a match. I think not to use it is burying one's head in sand."

Slovenian PM keeps promise and becomes shoe shine boy

Boru Pahor is a man of his word. Last month, the Slovenian Prime Minister promised to clean the shoes of the players of the national team if they would reach the World Cup.

On Wednesday night, Pahor became a shoe shine boy after the Slovenians defeated Russia to qualify for the World Cup. "I just cleaned the players' shoes but I admit I did not clean them thoroughly," Pahor told TV Slovenia after coming from the dressing room.

Pahor watched the match in the company of Slovenian President Danilo Turk, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Russian billionaire and Roman Abramovich, owner of English Premier League club Chelsea.

Car horns blew in Slovenia's second largest city Maribor, where the match took place, and in the capital Ljubljana, after the country managed to qualify for the World Cup finals for the second time since its independence in 1991 and first since 2002.

Hiddink: "All credits to the Slovenians"

Obviously, he was disappointed after his team was eliminated for the World Cup, but Russia coach Guus Hiddink remained realistic after the 1-0 loss in Maribor against Slovenia.

"All credits to the Slovenians," Hiddink said after the match. "They kept fighting for each meter and for each ball." Alexander Kerzhakov's red card in the 66th minute was the turning point of the match, according to Hiddink. The former Chelsea coach also referred to the late goal that Russia conceded in the first leg of the play-offs.

"That goal was crucial and we should have never conceded it but it's useless to look back. Fact is, Russia failed to reach the World Cup."

Hiddink gave nothing away about his future with Russia. The Dutchman, whose existing contract expires in summer 2010 following the finals, had announced towards the end of Russia's qualifying campaign that any questions about his future would be dealt at with at a later stage.

"I have an existing contract until the end of the World Cup finals in July 2010.

"The question (of whether I will continue to Euro 2012) will require some time for thought.

"Before the matches with Germany and Slovenia the Russian Football Association (RFS) expressed their desire to continue working together.

"But we'll talk about the future at a later stage."

Chiellini: "I didn't hurt Van Persie"

Italian international Giorgio Chiellini denies he hurt Robin van Persie. A challenge by Chiellini led to torn ankle ligaments that will keep the Arsenal man sidelined for several months.

"Some people tried to stir up trouble to distract attention from the performance," Chiellini said after the friendly match against Sweden (1-0 win) on Wednesday night. "I have never gone into a tackle to hurt anyone in my entire life and Van Persie said the same thing.

"If you look at the footage it's clear it was not a nasty challenge. I was the first to be upset about Van Persie and hope he'll recover as soon as possible. I was actually surprised he was injured from that situation," the Juventus defender said.

Chiellini scored the winner against Sweden. It was his second goal in 27 internationals for Italy.

Bayern's moment of truth

Bavaria based Bundesliga giants FC Bayern Munich host league leaders Bayer Leverkusen at the Allianz Arena on Sunday, in what is being touted as the "game of the season" by their general manager Uli Hoeness.

Bayern, eighth in the league, will have to go all guns blazing knowing that only a win could redeem their faltering start to the season.

Meanwhile, their opponents are rolling on at full throttle as they remain undefeated in the league, being three points clear at the top, six points ahead of Bayern and have the best defensive record - having conceded only eight goals in 12 rounds.

Even if the FCB manage to win on Sunday, it would only reduce the arrears at the top to just three points and a possible second position in the table if results elsewhere go their way.

And stand-in goalkeeper Hans-Jorg Butt admits his side cannot afford to slip up again.

"There can be no excuses - Leverkusen is a direct rival, we are playing at home and we have got to win," the former Leverkusen player told his club's website.

Leverkusen have not managed to get the better of Bayern since 1989 and Butt knows exactly how that feels as he was in their goal for six years, but he claims to have no more real ties with his former club.

"I think back to my time with Leverkusen fondly, but Sunday's game is no longer all that important for me," he added.

"There are no longer many players there from my time."

However, Leverkusen's new coach Jupp Heynckes feels his team can secure all three points as they travel to Munich in confident mood.

"Why shouldn't we win in Munich?" he asked.

The arrival of Henyckes and former Liverpool defender Sami Hyppia, has seen the side turn into a team who can genuinely aim for the title this season.

A win in Munich, would further consolidate the title credentials of the Leverkusen-based side who have yet to lift league title.

'Handball' ref buckled under pressure: Ireland's Brady

LONDON (AFP) - The referee who mistakenly allowed the goal that sent France to the World Cup succumbed to pressure created by FIFA, Ireland's assistant manager Liam Brady claimed on Thursday.

As the recriminations over Thierry Henry's handball in the build up to the crucial goal intensified, Brady said world football's governing body had made clear its desire for France to reach the finals by belatedly deciding to seed the draw for the play-offs.

That ensured that France could not be drawn against either Russia or Portugal and, according to Brady, created an atmosphere that ultimately influenced Swedish referee Martin Hansson's handling of Wednesday's play-off second leg in Paris.

Speaking to BBC Radio, Brady said: "I wouldn't blame Thierry Henry for what went on. I would maybe look at what happened three months before and the fact that these seedings for the play-offs were made to favour the bigger teams. I would ask why that went on.

"The pressure on referees is enormous then. The pressure is too much to bear and I thought the referee up until then had refereed the match in fine fashion, but he succumbed under pressure."

Brady added: "I asked Thierry Henry after the game and he said 'I handled it but I didn't mean it.' When you look at the film I think he kept the ball in play and he meant it. I wouldn't go down the road of (calling it) cheating, the players seek every advantage they can.

"But I would ask FIFA, 'Do we want to play the match again?' We would go to Paris and play again. I don't think it would come to that but we would be willing to go to Paris, on their home ground, and have a fair winner."

Henry admitted after the match that the ball had struck his hand before he crossed for William Gallas to head home an extra-time goal which levelled the score at 1-1 on the night and sent France to South Africa 2-1 on aggregate.