O'Shea not interested in Domenech comments

John O'Shea refused to be drawn into a deep discussion over the €5 million received by the FAI in the aftermath of Thierry Henry's handball in Paris in November 2009 – but he did say that the only thing the Irish team who played that night would have wanted at the time was a replay against France.

The story of the payment made by FIFA to the FAI has dominated the headlines this week, with the FAI eventually being forced to release a detailed statement in which they outlined how the agreement with the world football governing body came about.

A number of high profile figures in the game have commented on the story, with former France manager Raymond Domenech – who was in charge of Les Bleus on that fateful night – the latest to offer his thoughts on the matter. Domenech told French broadcaster Europe1 that he would be “outraged” by this news if he was an Irish player and stated his hope that those who represented the Boys in Green in that 2010 World Cup play-off would attempt to reclaim part of the €5 million.

During Saturday's Republic of Ireland pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday's friendly game against England at the Radisson Hotel by Dublin Airport, Sunderland defender John O'Shea – set to skipper the side against the Three Lions – was asked whether or not he agreed with Domenech's comments.

“You'd probably totally agree with it,” was Ireland boss Martin O'Neill's jocular answer on behalf of O'Shea before the Waterford native offered his own reply to the question.

“It's one of them, it's very easy for him to say that now, in that sense,” said O'Shea. “Look, the important thing from our point of view...as I said, the FAI have made things as upfront and clear as possible on what's going on, but for the French manager from that time to come out and say that now, it's obviously easy from his point of view to come out and say that the players should [get part of the money]. Ridiculous.”

When the point was put to O'Shea that the players had lost out on potential World Cup bonuses because of Henry's handball, the 102 times capped defender replied:

“But if you're talking about what the players would have been looking for from that point of view, ideally, in that sense, [it] would have been...well ultimately, it was done and dusted, the game was over, but if there was going to be anything from it, it would have been, say, a replay.

“Well, there wouldn't have been a case of monetary benefits from that point of view...but look, the game was done and dusted and these things happen, as they say.

“It's one of those things, it's done with,” O'Shea continued. “And as I say, the FAI have made things very clear in their statements and what have you and the players now are fully focused on two very important games.”

When asked whether or not he agreed with the assessment of former Republic of Ireland midfielder Keith Andrews – who featured against France in 2009 – that Ireland had lost the moral high ground because of the FAI's actions, O'Shea was eager to turn the discussion back to football.

“No, as I said, we're fully focused now. I just answered the question about the old French manager. We're fully focused on the games now that we have coming up.”