Manchester United legend and current Ipswich Town boss Roy Keane has issued a withering attack on the FAI following their reaction to Thierry Henry’s handball on Wednesday night. The commotion surrounding the Arsenal legend’s dishonest act has reached fever pitch, however Keane, once a ferocious Premier League opponent of the Frenchman, chose to highlight the hypocrisy of the FAI and the Republic of Ireland’s inability to beat the French when they had the chance. Keane also highlighted his own memories of the FAI and in particular the 2002 World Cup finals when the robust Keane stormed out of the Republic of Ireland’s training camp never to return.
Keane told the press: “I've been amazed at the commotion that's been going for the last few days,”
“I think we're on about Henry's handball - of course he handled it - but I'd focus on why they [Ireland's defenders] didn't clear it.”
“I'd be more annoyed with my defenders and my goalkeeper than Thierry Henry.”
“How can you let a ball bounce in the six yard box? How can you let Thierry Henry get goalside of you?
“And as the ball bounced in the six yard box I'd be saying 'where the hell's my goalkeeper?'“
Keane also emphatically dismissed any notion of the integrity of the game being damaged, claiming instead the FIA should have a look at their own previous indiscretions.
When asked if football had been damaged by an undoubtedly tawdry affair, Keane responded: “No, not one bit.”
“You look over the course of the campaign, Ireland had their chances in the two games. They never took it in the first game, they never performed.”
“I heard a few interviews after the games where the manager was speaking about none of the players got booked. Maybe that was the problem. Maybe they should have got booked in the first game because we stood off France.”
“In the second half we had opportunities to score and we didn't take it.”
“But the usual FAI reaction - 'We've been robbed!', 'the honesty of the game!'”
“There was one of the group games, I'm sure it was against Georgia, where Ireland got a penalty and it was one of the worst decisions I've ever seen which changed the whole course of the game.”
“I think Robbie [Keane] scored the penalty and Ireland went on to win it.”
“I don't remember the FAI saying after the game we should have had a replay.”
“John Delaney? He's on about the honesty and integrity of the game. I wouldn't take any notice of that man.”
“People forget the last time Ireland were at the World Cup in 2002. People seem to forget what was going on at that World Cup, and that man's on about honesty.”
“I was one of the players. He didn't even have the courtesy to ring me.”
“He got interviewed and all he said was 'I don't know where he is, he's on the island somewhere I think.'”
“I've been involved with Ireland since I was 15 years of age, and that man didn't even have the decency to make a phone call.”
“I think the Irish supporters probably deserve better, I think their manager and most of their players deserve better but I'm not sure the FAI deserve better.”
“What goes around comes around.”