Thierry Henry is one of the greatest French footballers ever to play the beautiful game – but he was once “hated” in his homeland.
This is at least according to Manchester United legend Patrice Evra, who revealed how one moment turned the goalscorer into a villain. It happened in the second-leg of a World Cup Qualifier in the Stade de France in 2009 where the home side were expected to beat the Republic of Ireland comfortably.
But Ireland were well on top and the game reached extra-time. And it was in the final moments that controversy struck when Henry kept a ball in play using his hand before palming it across to William Gallas to score the controversial late winner.
Almost immediately, the Irish players protested the injustice, and their supporters have never been able to forgive the ex-Arsenal striker. But according to Evra, the handball also caused tension in France, and he spoke about it on comedian Shane Todd’s Tea With Me podcast.
Todd told Evra he was in an Irish bar in Tenerife with his father when Ireland were denied the chance to compete at the 2010 World Cup. Recalling it, Evra, who was captain of the French team, said: “I got a lot of stick because I didn’t take it seriously.
“I didn’t know I break your heart, your dad’s heart, and when I went back to Manchester I remember a journalist said, ‘Patrice, what do you think the Irish people want to have a rematch’ and I said ‘yeah we can do the rematch on the Playstation’.
“It went viral and I genuinely didn’t mean it. The Irish people were hating me because of that so I want to apologise again because I want to go back alive. That is why I am apologising now – I want to make sure I make it on the plane.”
But while you may think Henry was lauded as a hero back home in France, Evra said this was far from the case. He explained: “It was chaos.
“Even the French people actually hate us, they hate Thierry Henry, like politicians was involved saying we were cheaters. I remember that game, we sh*t our pants, don’t ask me the reason why the Irish were all over us.”
And two days after the game, Henry released a statement saying he was not a cheater, despite admitting to the handball. He said: “I have said at the time and I will say again that yes I handled the ball. I am not a cheat and never have been.
“It was an instinctive reaction to a ball that was coming extremely fast in a crowded penalty area. I have never denied that the ball was controlled with my hand. I told the Irish players, the referee and the media this after the game.
“Naturally I feel embarrassed at the way that we won and feel extremely sorry for the Irish who definitely deserve to be in South Africa. There is little more I can do apart from admit that the ball had contact with my hand leading up to our equalising goal and I feel very sorry for the Irish.”
Despite being lucky to reach the World Cup, the French failed to capitalise, and were knocked out after scoring just one goal and earning one point during the dismal group stage.