Platini would like France-Ireland for Euro 2012

02-07-2010

WARSAW — UEFA chief Michel Platini said on Saturday he would like to see France and Ireland drawn in the same qualifying group for Euro 2012, despite the bad blood over Thierry Henry's match-winning handball.

"Yes. It would be very nice," Platini told reporters on the eve of the European championships qualifying draw in Poland, which is co-hosting the finals with neighbouring Ukraine.

In what may be an omen, France and Ireland were both drawn in the same group in a dummy run for Sunday's hotly-awaited draw, the head of Europe's football governing body said.

"It would be good. It's not me doing the draw of course. But speaking sincerely, I'd like it," said former French footballing great Platini.

France and Ireland fell out after the November 18 second-leg play-off for this year's World Cup finals in South Africa.

Henry's blatant extra-time handball enabled France to draw the match 1-1 and qualify for this summer's tournt.

But the controversy sparked a diplomatic and media storm with politicians from both countries wading into the row.

The referee from the controversial match, Sweden's Martin Hansson, is among the 30 top-flight officials picked for the World Cup.

Platini brushed off suggestions that football's world governing body FIFA had been wrong to select the Swede.

"FIFA made a good decision in picking him for the World Cup," he said.

"This man's is not responsible for anything. He couldn't see Henry's handball. If you'd been the referee, you wouldn't have seen it either," he added.

"It's a problem not of a referee, but of refereeing. Only television can see what referees can't see. He's a very good referee," Platini said, noting that Hansson had overseen a tense game between bitter political rivals, Turkey and Armenia.