Calls for investigation into 'arbitrary' FIFA payment to Ireland

Calls have been made for an investigation into “arbitrary” FIFA payments after the world governing body admitted paying the Football Association of Ireland US $5 million as compensation for the infamous Thierry Henry handball in a World Cup play-off.

France beat Ireland in the 2009 play-off 2-1 on aggregate – with France’s extra-time decider in the second leg owing much to an Henry handball in the build-up – which led to the FAI threatening legal action after missing out on the 2010 World Cup.

The payment, initially a loan, was agreed in return for the FAI not taking the case to court. Had Ireland qualified for the 2014 finals they would have had to pay the money back.

However, the two organisations differ with the figure. The FAI released a statement on Thursday night claiming the figure was €5 million, while FIFA’s claim of US $5 million is worth less once converted to euros.

It adds more fuel to the fire amid the FIFA corruption crisis.

Jim Boyce, who stepped down as Britain’s FIFA vice-president last week, labelled the payment “ridiculous” and said there should be a full investigation into such “arbitrary” payments.

Boyce, from Northern Ireland, told reporters: “I’m absolutely astounded – I have never heard anything as ridiculous in my life. If a payment of $5million has been paid because of a handball and threatened legal action then I hope a full investigation will be carried out into this and any other such arbitrary payments.”

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FAI chief executive John Delaney told RTE Radio 1: ”We felt we had a legal case against FIFA because of how the World Cup play-off hadn’t worked out for us with the Henry handball.

“Also the way Blatter behaved, if you remember on stage, having a snigger and having a laugh at us. That day when I went in, and I told him how I felt about him, there were some expletives used. We came to an agreement.”

FIFA said in a statement: “While the referee’s decision is final, and the FAI ultimately accepted it as such, in January 2010 FIFA entered into an agreement with FAI in order to put an end to any claims against FIFA.”

Unusual business practice

The development focuses further attention on FIFA’s unorthodox business practices after the disclosure this week it paid disgraced FIFA vice-president Jack Warner on behalf of South Africa ahead of the 2010 World Cup.

A leaked letter from the South African Football Association (SAFA) – obtained by the Press Association – showed they instructed FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke to pay $10million to Warner in 2008.

Within hours of the letter being made public, Sepp Blatter had announced he will stand down as FIFA president as soon as a new election takes place next year.

However, there have been calls for Blatter to leave immediately – with Warner describing him as a ”lame duck president”, and promising an “avalanche” of information to bury the man he helped get to power.

”You can’t say you’re stepping down and then stay for several more months,” Warner said. ”You can’t do that. You will be a lame duck president.”

Protesting his own innocence, Warner added: ”Half the things you hear (about me) are not true. You all rush to write, it’s not true. South Africa didn’t give me any 10million dollars bribe, they didn’t give me any bribe, Blatter didn’t give me any bribe.

”Blatter knows why he fell, and if there’s one other person who knows, I do.”