For a brief moment, before the on-field jubilation spiraled into a skirmish between the sport’s latest rivals, France and Argentina, the atmosphere was one of sheer joy. The fervent chant that reverberated through the Stade de Bordeaux for two exhilarating hours of football reached a thunderous crescendo.
Amidst the collective euphoria, one figure stood distinct. He was not filled with relief or joy, but rather rage. He persistently struck his temple with his index finger. While other managers would have knelt in gratitude or embraced nearby staff, Thierry Henry remained unaffected.
The referee had extended the play well beyond the allocated 10 minutes of added time, which clearly displeased the French manager. Those familiar with him likely were not shocked. Henry’s perception of injustice is easily provoked.
“If there’s one thing that drives me, it’s anger,” he stated during his time as one of the globe’s most feared forwards. Little has changed, apart from the fact that nearly a decade has passed since Henry last played in a competitive match.
At 46, he finds himself at the same age Gareth Southgate was when he began his role with England. Henry is now in a position he has always anticipated undertaking following his playing days, though things have not unfolded as smoothly as he envisioned. His ambition to join Arsenal’s first-team coaching staff was thwarted by Arsène Wenger, despite their shared successes and Henry’s mentoring role at the club’s academy. Consequently, he sought coaching opportunities with Belgium, where he served under Roberto Martínez and gained praise from players like Michy Batshuayi, Romelu Lukaku, and Eden Hazard. To date, his journey hasn’t been perfect, but it has been respectable.
By 2018, Henry felt prepared to branch out independently. After declining an offer from Bordeaux, he accepted the role of replacing Leonardo Jardim at Monaco. Given his comprehensive knowledge of the club, this move seemed obvious. However, key players who had propelled the team to the Ligue 1 title 17 months earlier, including Bernardo Silva and Kylian Mbappé, had departed, and this deficiency was apparent.
Henry’s tenure lasted just 104 days, ending with a dismal record of two wins from 12 league matches and a tarnished reputation. His inability to handle criticism soured relations with the French media almost immediately, and his public confrontations with players over mistakes only enhanced the perception of him as an arrogant individual who struggled to connect with others when results weren’t to his liking.
No club offered him a chance to recover from such a downfall. It was only through his adviser’s initiative that he managed to return to management with the MLS team Montréal.
Then came the Covid pandemic, which impacted him particularly hard as he endured lockdowns away from his family. It was a return to square one once more. Yet, here he stands now, just one match away from an Olympic final.
Some may argue that Henry only stepped up for the role of manager for France’s Under-21s and Olympic team because he had no other opportunities. One thing is certain: it wasn’t motivated by financial gain. He receives the same salary as his predecessor, Sylvain Ripoll, which is less than a third of the expected salary for a manager of a mid-tier Championship club and a tenth of what Sky Sports allegedly paid him for his punditry.
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Moreover, it wasn’t an easy route to regain credibility, considering France’s vast pool of young talent. The imminent Euro 2024 meant that eligible players such as William Saliba, Bradley Barcola, Warren Zaïre-Emery, and Eduardo Camavinga were unavailable for selection. Additionally, he couldn’t rely on the cream of the under-19 squad, which had just succumbed to Spain in the European Championship final.
Henry indeed had much at stake if this venture did not pan out. However, he also possessed significant aspirations – not just a gold medal. Didier Deschamps cannot lead indefinitely, right? Since Michel Hidalgo’s retirement in 1984, the French federation has typically adhered to a two-fold strategy for appointing a new national team manager, with Jacques Santini being the singular exception between 2002 and 2004.
The next appointment could go to a prominent former international, as seen with Michel Platini, Laurent Blanc, and Deschamps. Alternatively, the position could be filled internally. Gérard Houllier was an assistant to Platini; Aimé Jacquet assisted Houllier; Roger Lemerre had been Jacquet’s assistant. A variation on this theme involved promoting those who excelled in guiding the Espoirs, similar to Raymond Domenech’s ascent after leading them to the Under-23 Euros final in 2002.
Moreover, Henri Michel secured his appointment based on the Olympic gold medal his team won in Los Angeles in 1984. With reports suggesting Zinedine Zidane’s interest in Les Bleus is waning, the pool of candidates aligning with the FFF’s requirements when Deschamps eventually steps down may be limited, possibly around 2026, one year following the conclusion of Henry’s own contract, at a point when the Monaco debacle would be a far-off concern.
