The chief executive of the Irish Football Association has admitted they were paid £3.6 million to avoid a damaging court battle over Thierry Henry's handball after their World Cup play-off defeat to France.

John Delaney made the shock admission which has embroiled world football's governing body into further scandal after the arrest of a string of senior officials amid FBI and Swiss police investigation. Delaney said the money was to avoid a legal case over the side's defeat to France in 2009 which ensured they failed to qualify for the tournament in Brazil last year. Ireland were knocked out in a two-legged playoff to qualify for the 2010 South Africa tournament, with the decisive goal in the second leg coming after a handball by ex-Arsenal star Henry in extra time. Henry blatantly stopped the ball going out of play with his hand, before crossing for William Gallas to score. The game in Paris in 2009 ended 1-1 after with France progressing to the finals 2-1 on aggregate. It was dubbed the 'Le hand of God' after Diego Maradona's goal which helped put England out of the 1986 World Cup. With moral outrage over the goal in Ireland and beyond, Fifa president Sepp Blatter revealed that the FAI had asked the governing body to be handed a "33rd place" in the World Cup at a confidential meeting to discuss a possible replay. Delaney criticised Blatter at the time for his handling of the incident and accused the Swiss of being "disrespectful". Speaking to Irish state broadcaster RTE, Delaney said: "It was a payment to the association... not to proceed with a legal case. "We felt we had a legal case against FIFA because of how the World Cup hadn't worked out because of the Thierry Henry handball, also the way (Sepp) Blatter behaved if you remember on stage, having a snigger, having a laugh at us. "So that day when I went in and told him how I felt about him... there were some expletives used, we came to an agreement. "That was the Thursday and on Monday the agreement was all signed and all done. It was a very good agreement for the FAI, a very legitimate agreement for the FAI." Delaney did not reveal the exact amount FIFA paid, but said: "I'm bound by confidentiality from naming the figure. You used a figure there... well done to you." Meanwhile, Nicola Sturgeon has said the bidding process for the 2022 World Cup should be rerun if an investigation finds that corruption was involved in Qatar winning the right to host the tournament, as she called on Fifa to "get its house in order".

The First Minister, fielding questions the day before Scotland plays the Gulf State in a friendly at Easter Road, also said she respected supporters who chose to boycott the game in protest at human rights abuses as well as the SFA's decision to resist calls to cancel the fixture.

She said: "If the allegations of corruption around the awarding of the World Cup to Qatar are found to be well-founded, then there is a very, very strong case for rerunning that competition."

She added: "There is no doubt that what is alleged - and I stress alleged - to have been happening in and around Fifa is appalling... It is absolutely essential that those allegations are dealt with, that anybody found guilty is brought to justice and Fifa gets its house in order so we can all go back to enjoying the wonderful spectacle of sport during World Cups."

Labour backbencher Malcolm Chisholm asked whether Ms Sturgeon shared concerns around the SFA's decision to arrange the fixture in light of the deaths of hundreds of workers building stadiums for the Qatar tournament, as well as allegations of forced labour and exploitation.

Almost 30 MSPs, mainly Labour members but also including LibDems and Greens, have backed a Holyrood motion calling for the game to be cancelled.

Ms Sturgeon said: "I respect the views of those who think tomorrow's match shouldn't go ahead but I hope those who hold that view will also accept the other view, that sport can be a good way to engage and highlight human rights abuses, is a legitimate one.

"The decision on the match is one for the SFA and I respect the decision to go ahead with that match, just as I respect the views of any fans who choose not to attend.

"Instead of us in Scotland arguing over one football match I think we should unite behind these demands: firstly, that Fifa gets its house in order, that allegations of corruption are investigated robustly and anyone found guilty is brought to justice and secondly, that human rights are respected and upheld in every single part of the world without exception. These are the issues that really matter and let us speak with one voice on both of them."