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You F***ing Irish P***k!
By Cormac Byrne
Monday November 16 2009
Motivation will not be a problem for the Irish team as details of the bust-up at the final whistle emerge.
French midfielder Lassana Diarra was accused of jeering at Irish midfielder Keith Andrews, saying "F**k you, you Irish pr**k, you're out".
The Irish player has confirmed that Diarra had indeed directed that comment at him.
"Yeah, that's about accurate, he has made a disrespectful comment," said Andrews.
The disgusting slur was made at the final whistle and according to Andrews he was sitting on his hunkers, dejected at the result, when Diarra approached him.
"When the final whistle went, I was hunkered down a little. I saw him walking towards me and I thought he was going to shake my hand. And he made a remark and, to be fair, I lost my head a little bit," said Andrews.
Andrews said that the comment typified the French attitude on the night and it looks certain to rear its head in the pressure cauldron that will be the Stade de France on Wednesday night.
"It's only halfway finished and for a person to come out with something like that, it's very disappointing. All our lads are aware of it so we'll see what happens on Wednesday," said an irate Andrews.
Although the game appeared to be played in a sporting manner, this incident shows that there was definitely some niggle in the game, but the outburst from Diarra was unexpected.
"There was a bit of niggle between us in the game, anyway, but that's just football and it happens," he said.
"You don't really expect it from a fellow professional. It's a massive two-legged tie; it's very pivotal and crunch time in the tie."
Irish manager Giovanni Trapattoni was also appalled at the French midfielder's antics and described the outburst as something he "cannot repeat".
The enigmatic Italian said that the comment was an insult to the Irish people.
"One player said something to one of my players which I cannot repeat [it was so bad]," said Trapattoni in the aftermath of the game.
"You cannot insult the Irish people like this. It is not in my culture [to complain]. It is enough that they think about what they said and they realise they have done wrong."
The manager refused to name the guilty party because it is not in his "culture".
hnews@herald.ie
By Cormac Byrne
Monday November 16 2009
Motivation will not be a problem for the Irish team as details of the bust-up at the final whistle emerge.
French midfielder Lassana Diarra was accused of jeering at Irish midfielder Keith Andrews, saying "F**k you, you Irish pr**k, you're out".
The Irish player has confirmed that Diarra had indeed directed that comment at him.
"Yeah, that's about accurate, he has made a disrespectful comment," said Andrews.
The disgusting slur was made at the final whistle and according to Andrews he was sitting on his hunkers, dejected at the result, when Diarra approached him.
"When the final whistle went, I was hunkered down a little. I saw him walking towards me and I thought he was going to shake my hand. And he made a remark and, to be fair, I lost my head a little bit," said Andrews.
Andrews said that the comment typified the French attitude on the night and it looks certain to rear its head in the pressure cauldron that will be the Stade de France on Wednesday night.
"It's only halfway finished and for a person to come out with something like that, it's very disappointing. All our lads are aware of it so we'll see what happens on Wednesday," said an irate Andrews.
Although the game appeared to be played in a sporting manner, this incident shows that there was definitely some niggle in the game, but the outburst from Diarra was unexpected.
"There was a bit of niggle between us in the game, anyway, but that's just football and it happens," he said.
"You don't really expect it from a fellow professional. It's a massive two-legged tie; it's very pivotal and crunch time in the tie."
Irish manager Giovanni Trapattoni was also appalled at the French midfielder's antics and described the outburst as something he "cannot repeat".
The enigmatic Italian said that the comment was an insult to the Irish people.
"One player said something to one of my players which I cannot repeat [it was so bad]," said Trapattoni in the aftermath of the game.
"You cannot insult the Irish people like this. It is not in my culture [to complain]. It is enough that they think about what they said and they realise they have done wrong."
The manager refused to name the guilty party because it is not in his "culture".
hnews@herald.ie
