Thierry Henry is “YET yet to sign a two-year contract as France U21 coach” despite having already been appointed as the new coach by the FFF
Thierry Henry is “YET yet to sign a two-year contract as France U21 coach” despite having already been appointed as the new coach by the FFF
Thierry Henry is reportedly yet to sign a two-year deal as the new coach of the France Under-21 team, although this has already been announced by the French Football Federation (FFF).
The former Arsenal and Barcelona star, who held the all-time goalscoring record for Les Bleus before Olivier Giroud clinched his title at the World Cup in Qatar, has long been linked with a move to the Under-21s coaching roster.
Just last Sunday, the former striker was featured in Amazon Prime’s Ligue 1 coverage, fending off suggestions that he should be announced as the new manager, poking fun at comments and calling for a commercial break to avoid a reply.
The FFF then put an end to speculation on Monday night by announcing him as Under-21 coach, although that statement was reportedly not followed by Henry’s signature on a two-year deal.
According to French newspaper L’EquipeDue to his ongoing role as a pundit for CBS Sport and his longstanding association with kit supplier Puma, the 46-year-old has yet to officially sign his contract.
Thierry Henry is reportedly yet to sign a contract as France U21 coach despite the announcement
Henry could lead the U21s at the upcoming Paris Olympics next summer
L’Equipe reports that he will end his role on Amazon Prime but could continue his work at CBS
As for the latter point, Henry has long been sponsored by Puma, but the Espoirs – as the France U21 players are known – wear Nike kits.
As a result, this could prove problematic for Henry’s relationship with Puma, who may not be keen on one of their biggest partners being seen in competitive attire.
As for his professional commitments, according to L’Equipe, Henry will be retiring from Amazon Prime but could continue working for CBS Sport, where he was a huge hit alongside Kate Abdo, Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards.
It remains to be seen how both parties would agree to sidestep both of these disagreements, but the newspaper report suggests there is little reason to worry his appointment could be in jeopardy.
Gael Clichy (second right) could join Henry’s under-21 coaching staff
Although the former striker has already been announced as the new coach, the discussions surrounding these two points somewhat explain why no press conference has yet been called to announce the news.
The Frenchman reportedly fended off Sabri Lamouchi’s interest in being unanimously selected by an FFF executive committee and is likely to lead the team at the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics.
And he won’t have to wait long before making his debut with the Under-21s who take on Denmark on 7 September before taking on Slovenia in a EURO qualifier four days later.
It will be Henry’s first appointment in over two years, having previously overseen Monaco (October 2018 – January 2019) and Montreal Impact (November 2019 – February 2021). He is reportedly to be joined by former Arsenal team-mate Gael Clichy’s coaching staff.