Fifa confirms paymentto FAI

The game's governing body says it loaned the FAI
money to aid the construction of a stadium but
wrote off the loan after the national team failed to
qualify for World Cup 2010
Football Association of Ireland chief executive John
Delaney has confirmed that the FAI were paid a
large figure by Fifa to deter the association from
proceeding with a legal case following Thierry
Henry's handball in the 2010 World Cup playoff
with France.
Henry's handball lead to a goal which helped
France defeat the Republic of Ireland 2-1 to
advance to the World Cup finals in South Africa,
and Delaney believed that the FAI had a legitimate
claim to bring Fifa to court over the matter.
However, a legal case was not lodged as then Fifa
president Sepp Blatter and Delaney agreed a
substantial payoff, reported to be in the region of
€5 million.
"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,” Delaney told RTE
Radio.
"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.
"That was a Thursday and on Monday the
agreement was all signed and all done. It’s a very
good agreement for the FAI and a very legitimate

agreement for the FAI."
Delaney would not deny that the amount received
was €5m, but was pleased with the outcome of the
agreement.
"I’m bound by confidentiality for naming the
figure," Delaney said.
"You’ve put a figure out there and fair play to you.
It was a payment to the association to not proceed
with a legal case. In there they signed a
confidentiality agreement where I can’t talk about
the amount involved.
"You used a figure there, well done to you, but it
was a very good and legitimate deal for the FAI."
Fifa has issued a statement in response to
Delaney's claims.
"On November 18 2009, there was a play-off
match between France and the Republic of Ireland
for a place in the 2010 World Cup finals. During
the match, a handball by France's Thierry Henry
led indirectly to a goal against the Irish team.
Ireland did not qualify for the 2010 World Cup
finals," it reads.
"While the Referee's decision is final, and the
Football Association of Ireland (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. FIFA granted FAI a loan
of USD 5 million for the construction of a stadium
in Ireland. At the same time, UEFA also granted the
FAI funds for the same stadium.
"The terms agreed between FIFA and the FAI were
that the loan would be reimbursed if Ireland
qualified for the 2014 World Cup. Ireland did not
so qualify. Because of this, and in view of the FAI's
financial situation, FIFA decided to write off the
loan as per 31 December 2014."