There are calls for an investigation into alleged arbitrary payments by FIFA after football’s world governing body admitted compensating Ireland after a contentious handball deprived the country of World Cup qualification.
Amid outrage over Thierry Henry’s so-called “Hand of God” leading to the decisive goal that sent France to South Africa in 2010 instead, FIFA paid the Irish FA five million euros to avoid a damaging legal case.
Britain’s outgoing FIFA vice-president Jim Boyce, who is from Northern Ireland, was quoted in Irish media as saying he was ‘astounded’ by the ‘ridiculous’ payment.
“If a payment of five million 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.”
FIFA confirmed the payment, saying it was a loan to help build a stadium, and was later written off when Ireland failed to qualify for the next World Cup.
The organisation said in a statement tha
