Fifa considers punishing Henry

FIFA will decide on Wednesday how to punish Thierry Henry over his controversial handball against the Republic of Ireland as part of a wide-ranging disciplinary crackdown that could include the introduction of five match officials at next year's World Cup.

FIFA will decide on Wednesday how to punish Thierry Henry over his controversial handball against the Republic of Ireland as part of a wide-ranging disciplinary crackdown that could include the introduction of five match officials at next year's World Cup.

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Sepp Blatter revealed yesterday that tomorrow's emergency meeting of the FIFA executive committee would consider sanctions against Henry but did not say whether the player could be banned.

The France striker, whose actions provoked a storm of protest, told Blatter in a private phone call that his wife and daughter in London had faced threats from enraged fans as a result of his infamous handball prior to crossing for William
Gallas to put Ireland out of the tournament.

Blatter also said that sudden-death play-offs could be scrapped ahead of the next World Cup qualifying campaign after the chaos that enveloped the match in Paris and other combustible ties between Egypt and Algeria and Uruguay and Costa Rica.

“There is too much at stake and football is so important. To be qualified or not qualified is so important. To determine qualification by one match only … we have to look at that,” said Blatter. “One billion people are indirectly involved in our game. Those that have the highest responsibility are those exposed by the television cameras but also because they take the highest amount of money. They must have a responsibility. This is the appeal I will make to the executive committee, otherwise I will do it alone,” he said.