FIFA paid the FAI to not pursue a legal challenge to Henry's handball

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The Football Association of Ireland chief executive, John Delaney, has confirmed that the body accepted a payment from Fifa after Thierry Henry’s handball in the 2010 World Cup qualifying play-offs ended their hopes of qualifying for the tournament in South Africa. Delaney said the payment, reported to be €5m (£3.67m), was made so the FAI would not pursue legal action.

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Speaking on The Ray D'Arcy Show today on RTE Radio One, Delaney re-iterated that he has long-held the view that the 79-year-old Swiss was an embarrassment to world football and indeed told him so.
"In 2009 I called him an embarrassment to FIFA and to himself," he said. "He called me over about that, across the table like I am talking to you, with one or two expletives."

"That was in a room. He said, 'No-one speaks to me like that', and I said, "well I do' and that was that."
Delaney also revealed a surreal recent encounter between Blatter and his partner Emma English, where the FAI was forced to tell the FIFA boss to stop staring at the PR event organiser.

"He met Emma, my partner, in Vienna recently," he said. "He stared at her for seven or eight seconds and he said, "I approve of your new girlfriend'".
"I asked him to move on, move on please.

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