No Punishment to Thierry Henry
After controversial assist from Henry FIFA has announced that no action will be taken against France International player Thierry Henry over helped secure victory for France in the World Cup qualification play-off against Republic of Ireland
It had been believed that Barcelona Striker Thierry Henry could be suspended, fined or given a warning for the offence, which prompted calls from the Football Association of Ireland to replay the match as France
However, FIFA has said that there is no legal basis by which they could punish the player for his actions and, as such, he will be free to participate in France 's opening match against Uruguay
A FIFA statement read: "On 2 December 2009, the FIFA Executive Committee asked the FIFA Disciplinary Committee to analyse the handling offence committed by Thierry Henry during the France v. Republic of Ireland
"At its meeting on 18 January 2010, the Disciplinary Committee reached the conclusion that there was no legal foundation for the committee to consider the case because handling the ball cannot be regarded as a serious infringement as stipulated in article 77a) of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. There is no other legal text that would allow the committee to impose sanctions for any incidents missed by match officials."
