Well, sqad, others have the advantage over me as I have not seen the incident (nor have I any intention of seeking it out). However, from what I have heard there seems no doubt that the ball was handled, and not much doubt that it was done so intentionally.
M. Henry’s carefully crafted statement did not accept cheating, but in my book a player who deliberately commits an act so clearly contrary to the laws of the game, and particularly one which led to a decisive goal being scored, is a cheat.
In most games (but with some notable exceptions) players try to exploit the rules to the limit, and there is nothing wrong with that. However, in football there are so many controversial incidents where players try to gain a significant advantage not necessarily by exploiting or breaking the rules, but by deceiving the officials (and I am thinking particularly of “diving”) that I simply cannot believe that they are all accidental, or bad luck, or unintentional.