Referees should take lead from rugby, says Henry

ARSENAL captain Thierry Henry would love to be able to have a friendly chat with referees — just like in rugby.

Henry was furious when what appeared to be a perfectly good goal against CSKA Moscow was disallowed by Manuel Mejuto Gonzalez for what the Spanish official saw as a handball, booking the striker into the bargain.

In rugby union, the team captain or appointed representative is permitted to approach the referee for an explanation on decisions during the game, with a tradition of always addressing the man with the whistle as ‘sir’.

Henry feels it is about time football adopted a similar approach, having been unable to put his point across to the match officials, even after the final whistle, at the Lokomotiv Stadium on Wednesday night.

“People talk about footballers behaving like rugby players and accepting decisions — but rugby players can talk with the referee. We cannot,” the Arsenal captain said.

“You do not want to have a go at them, but just to ask them what they saw at crucial times and yet you are not allowed to do that in football.

“I would like the game to be a bit like rugby at times because in football you just cannot speak to referees.

“When you score to equalise in the final minutes and ask why he has disallowed it, the guy does not answer you, it is like you are not there. That can be difficult to take.

“A football game often comes down to a couple of key moments. If they do not go your way then you are in trouble.”

Henry said: “I thought he had given an offside and disallowed it — but to say that I handled it and to give me a yellow card for handball when I did not is wrong. If anyone sees me handle the ball on the TV replay then they should come and tell me.”