Thierry Henry, the France striker whose handball against the Republic of Ireland landed his team in the World Cup, says he understands Nicolas Anelka’s situation. Anelka was booted off the French squad after reportedly cursing at coach Raymond Domenech.
From The Irish Times:
“I can tell you, from the experience with my handball, I was all alone and I know what it feels like,” the former France captain said in an interview on French television.
“I would have really liked him to be supported a bit.”
Henry knows what it’s like to receive the cold shoulder. As a result of the handball, Henry noticed the disrespectful way the other players acted toward him.
Having been relegated to the bench for the tournament, the 32-year-old said he had “no credibility” and was made to feel like an isolated and unimportant figure.
“I could have been the big brother (to the younger player) but I no longer am,” France’s all-time record scorer explained.
“I felt cast aside. People no longer spoke to me in the same way as before.
“They used to talk to me more. I was at the centre. When you no longer have any credibility in the squad, it gets to the point when it becomes difficult.”
Soccer is a different beast in other countries. When a player commits something wrong on the field, they can be nationally disgraced. In the U.S., we’d just cover the incident for a day or two and make sure its mentioned on his Wikipedia.
