sport

KEANE BLASTS PLATINI AND BLATTER

Gallas celebrates as Keane looks on.

Robbie Keane hit out at the presidents of FIFA and UEFA following the Republic of Ireland's World Cup exit, claiming they would be "delighted" that France had gone through thanks to a hugely controversial winning goal.

Striker Thierry Henry clearly handled the ball before squaring it across goal for William Gallas to net the winner after Republic skipper Keane had levelled the aggregate score in the first half of the play-off second leg in Paris.

And Keane claims FIFA president Sepp Blatter and his UEFA counterpart Michel Platini got the result they would have wanted last night.

He told BBC Radio Five Live: "They're all probably clapping hands, Platini sitting up there on the phone to Sepp Blatter, probably texting each other, delighted with the result."

The Tottenham forward also criticised the late decision to seed the play-off ties when it emerged that established football powers such as France, Portugal and at one stage Germany could be involved.

Keane said: "Germany had a chance of being in the (play-offs) as well. With two massive countries there's no way in a million years is there going to be fair draw."

Henry's handball was another incident in support of video evidence being used during matches to support referees.

He added: "He (Henry) nearly caught it, so it's a bit of a killer. When you see the reaction of the players, (goalkeeper) Shay (Given) especially, he's two yards away from it.

"You don't get a reaction like that if he's not sure it's a handball. He almost caught it and ran into the net with it."

Republic of Ireland assistant manager Liam Brady claims referee Martin Hansson "succumbed under pressure" in awarding France their controversial goal.

The former Arsenal midfielder told BBC Radio Five Live: "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."