Cowen raised the issue of replaying the match with his French counterpart at a European Union summit in Brussels on Thursday after French captain Thierry Henry admitted he handled the ball in the build-up to William Gallas's winning goal in Paris.

Sarkozy said he was sympathetic to Ireland's position, but could not support Cowen's call for restaging the game.

“I told Brian Cowen how sorry I was for them,” Sarkozy told reporters. “But don't ask me to substitute myself for the referee, or the French football authorities, or the European football authorities: leave me right where I am.”