World Cup 'cheat' row spurs French national debate

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PARIS, Nov 20, 2009 (AFP) - France's tainted qualification for the World Cup football finals, won at Ireland's expense thanks to a blatant handball, plunged an embarrassed country into a bout of anguished soul-searching Friday.

Striker Thierry Henry's illegal fumbling of the ball, setting up an extra-time strike that saw his side through to next year's competition, continued to dominate front pages and radio phone-in shows two days after the match.

Even the accused, Henry himself, admitted that "the fairest solution would be to replay the game", increasing pressure on the French football federation to call for a rematch to decide which side goes to South Africa.

France left the last World Cup in shame after then captain Zinedine Zidane felled an opponent with a head butt in the closing minutes of the final, and the team now seems likely to start the next one already tagged as cheats.

Struggling to read the national mood, President Nicolas Sarkozy's government appeared divided over the issue, with some politicians calling for a rematch in the interests of fairness, and others defending the team.

Many French were embarrassed by their team's victory and dozens of fans registered their disgust on a government website set up this month to stimulate a broader debate about French national identity.

Responding to the question "What does it mean to be French?" a web-user writing as "CB" declared: "Being French is not cheating blatantly in a football match. Henry's cheating stains us all."

"To be French is not to make yourself ridiculous in front of the entire planet in order to take part in a World Cup after cheating to qualify. I'm not very proud to be French today," wrote Geoffroy.

Several commentators expressed concern that the team had shown a bad example of sportsmanship to young people, reflecting concerns already raised by coaches working with French youth teams.

The union representing sports teachers condemned national coach Raymond Domenech -- who will reportedly pocket an 862,000 euro (1.28 million dollars) bonus for qualifying -- for endorsing the idea that "winning is everything".

In a statement, the teachers said the France-Ireland match and the reaction to it undermined the values they try to impart to young players, "cooperation, honest competition and respect for opponents."

The French press also reflected the mood of national embarrassment rather than celebrating French qualification, with Le Figaro's front-page headline declaring: "Henry's foul becomes an affair of state."

Le Parisien splashed a front-page picture of the handball incident under the headline "Le Malaise" (discomfort).

The French grandson of World Cup founder Jules Rimet, Yves Rimet, said that the "ethics of sport were violated" by Henry's action.

France's leaders, normally happy to drape themselves in the flag when it comes to celebrating national sporting triumphs, have been unsure in their response to the angry mood.

Sarkozy and Prime Minister Francois Fillon have attempted to boot the ball into touch, insisting it is for the sporting authorities and not the government to decide on Ireland's demand for a rematch.

But some members of the government have broken ranks, including Finance Minister Christine Lagarde, who endorsed calls for a rematch.

"I'm obviously very happy that the team is in the World Cup but it is very sad to have qualified by cheating," she told RTL radio station. "I think that in such circumstances it would be good to decide to have the match replayed."

Sports Minister Rama Yade, however, defended Henry, saying the handball was accidental. "I don't think you can talk about cheating," she protested. "In any case, the referee saw nothing."

But faced with the video evidence, replayed ceaselessly on television news broadcasts, most football experts agreed Henry appeared to have deliberately controlled the ball with an outstretched forearm.

Talking to Le Parisien, former France defender and 1998 World Cup winner Bixente Lizarazu branded the result "an undeserved qualification and a cheat.

"Catastrophic. We were dominated on a technical level by the Irish. Even just saying that makes me angry! France was totally outplayed by a team that deserved to go through more than we did," he said.