Zeenews Bureau
Paris: Facing outrage over it’s apparent inaction over French football skipper Thierry Henry’s hand-ball incident against Ireland in a World Cup Qualifier play-off at Paris last week, the FIFA on Sunday said that the talismanic stiker may be banned for a few games at next year's World Cup in South Africa.
Henry could miss the start of the World Cup if FIFA's disciplinary panel decides that his handball in the build-up to France's winning goal constituted ‘unsporting behaviour’.
A spokesman for the Apex football body confirmed that Henry could yet face the music should the commission, which will meet at some stage in the next two weeks, chooses to study the incident.
"The disciplinary commission is an independent organ," said the FIFA spokesman. "It will decide if the case is of interest. The possibility exists of sanctioning a player for unsporting behaviour on the basis of video evidence."
Henry, who admitted to handling the ball, had backed the Irish federation to pursue French officials and get a re-match.
In past their have been precedents of players being punished for similar offences.
Real Madrid forward Raúl was banned for scoring with his hand in a Champions League game by UEFA. Mauro Tassotti was banned for eight games by FIFA for elbowing Spain's Luís Enrique during a World Cup quarter-final at USA 94 after the incident had been missed by the referee.
More famously, Italian defender Marco Materazzi was handed a two-match ban and fined €5,000 (£4,500) for inciting France's Zinedine Zidane to head-butt him in the 2006 World Cup final after a panel reviewed footage of the game.
Martin Hansson, the Swedish official at the centre of the Henry controversy, is however unlikely to face any action and it is understood that he has been included on FIFA's preliminary list for World Cup referees.
First Published: Monday, November 23, 2009, 00:25