FIFA president Sepp Blatter has leapt to the defence of Thierry Henry in the wake of the France striker's controversial handball by insisting it was 'not his responsibility to tell the referee'.

The Arsenal legend and Barcelona hitman made the headlines for all the wrong reasons a fortnight ago as his blantant handball led to the goal that saw Les Bleus beat the Republic of Ireland in their World Cup play-off.

Henry, 32, controlled a Florent Malouda free-kick with his hand not once, but twice, before crossing for William Gallas to head home in extra-time and seal a 2-1 aggregate win over Giovanni Trapattoni's men.

The incident, dubbed the 'Hand of Gaul, led to universal condemnation of the France captain's actions after he admitted after the game that it was handball.

Blatter has now broken his silence over the incident, with French daily L'Equipe claiming that he phoned Henry following the match to offer his backing.

"(Henry) was honest by admitting that he did use his hand, but it wasn't his responsibility to tell the referee," Blatter said.

"The referee should have taken the time to reflect rather than immediately awarding the goal."