Thierry Henry to land MAJOR new job on Monday
FT Desk
- 19 Aug 2023 12:50 BST
- 3 min read
Former Arsenal and Barcelona star Thierry Henry is looking to rejuvenate his managerial career with a top role in his native France.
Henry, 46, has been focused on media work since cutting short his second stint as Belgium assistant in 2022 following the post-World Cup departure of Roberto Martinez.
But according to L'Equipe, he is now set to receive another opportunity to prove himself in the international game.
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The newspaper claims that Henry is the France Football Federation's (FFF) top choice to succeed Sylvain Ripoll in charge of the nation's U-21 team, and could be confirmed in the job as early as Monday.
The post has lain vacant since July, when Ripoll parted ways with Les Bleus after overseeing a last-16 exit in the European Championship.
Should he receive the job Henry would likely lead France into the Paris Olympic Games next year, presenting him with the tantalising chance to clinch the nation's second men's football gold on home soil.
The story so far
To date, Henry has struggled to replicate the success of his playing days on the bench.
His first permanent post after retirement was as Martinez's Belgium deputy, which he took up in 2016 following a spell coaching Arsenal's academy hopefuls on a part-time basis.
In 2018, Henry was then handed the reins of Monaco, but his time in the principality proved nothing short of disastrous.
The manager lasted just 20 games in charge, 11 of which ended in defeat, and was sacked in January 2019 with Monaco languishing in 19th place in Ligue 1.
A subsequent stint at MLS' Montreal Impact was more positive: Henry led the club to the play-offs during the Covid-interrupted 2020 campaign before stepping down, citing the need to be closer to his family after the hardships imposed by the pandemic.
