Swedes hammer bungling Hansson
Thursday, 19 November 2009 14:49Blundering Swedish referee Martin Hansson was this morning condemned in his homeland.
Hansson missed Thierry Henry's handball in extra-time which led to France's equaliser against the Republic of Ireland in Paris last night.
The match finished 1-1, meaning France advanced to South Africa with a 2-1 aggregate victory.
Hansson's blunder - and Henry's dishonesty - were the major talking points afterwards but Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet laid the blame squarely at the official's door.
Their story said: 'There are approximately 80million Irishmen around the world. We guarantee they all feel pretty bad today.
'But I sincerely hope there are three Swedes that feel even worse.
'They are Martin Hansson and (referee's assistants) Stefan Wittberg and Fredrik Nilsson.'
They concluded by adding: 'There will be no World Cup for Ireland and I assume that Team Hansson has also forfeited it's right to continue to take charge of major international matches.
'Anything else would be a further insult to the Irish nation.'
