Julius Okorie
France Legend and member of the Popular Arsenal invisible under Arsene wenger Thierry Henry has resigned his position as France U-21 coach just days after leading the Olympic team second finish in Paris.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelFrance made it all the way to the men’s Olympic football event on home soil where the battle to the finish against Spain but failed to realise the dream of clinching the gold medal.
Nigeria- born France junior international Michael Olise was fantastic all through the competition despite 5-3 defeat by eventual Gold medalists Spain in the final
Recall that Thierry Henry was appointed the team’s coach in August 2023 after leaving his role as the assistant manager of the Belgian national team.
He was expected to remain in the position up until 2025 but decided to resign after leading the country’s Olympic football team to the 2024 Paris Games, where they finished second.
Speaking on his departure, Henry who scored 174 goals in 254 appearances for Arsenal from 1999 to 2007 expressed his gratitude towards the French Football Federation and President Philippe Diallo for the opportunity to lead the under-21 team.
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Although he did not specify the reason for his resignation, he underscored the pride he felt in winning the silver medal at the Olympics and thanked the players, staff, and supporters for the incredible experience.
Henry said: “I would like to thank the FFF and President Philippe Diallo, who offered me this incredible opportunity.
“Winning the silver medal at the Olympic Games for my country will remain one of the greatest pride of my life. I am incredibly grateful to the Federation, the players, the staff and the supporters who allowed me to live a magical experience.”
FFF President Philippe Diallo also expressed his appreciation for Henry’s successful leadership of the teams and confirmed his resignation. Despite regretting Henry’s departure, Diallo acknowledged his accomplishments, including the silver medal win at the Paris Olympics.
“On behalf of the FFF, I would like to thank Thierry Henry for all the work he has accomplished at the head of the Espoirs and Olympiques teams. “,enthused Philippe Diallo
“We obviously regret this decision because Thierry Henry was able to achieve the objectives that had been set for him by winning a silver medal at the Paris Olympics, 40 years after the Olympic medal in Los Angeles”
While it is not certain whether the former Montreat Impact handler will be seeking a new coaching job, it is however certain that he will return to his pundit assignment with CBS Sports where he contributes to blow by blow coverage of the UEfA Champions League.
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.
