Thierry Henry , the former France forward renowned for his role in helping the national team secure victory at the 1998 World Cup on home turf, has assumed the position of coach for the country’s under-21 team. This appointment follows Sylvain Ripoli’s tenure.
Henry, aged 46, boasts previous experience as an assistant coach with Belgium and has held managerial roles at Monaco and Montreal Impact. His commitment will extend to leading the France Under-23 squad at the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics, a venture deemed a “major objective” by the French Football Federation (FFF).
Furthermore, he plans to guide the under-21s’ efforts towards qualifying for the 2025 European Championship.
Gerald Baticle
Gerald Baticle, with prior coaching experience at Auxerre U19 and Angers and aged 53, will become an assistant on Henry’s staff. The FFF undertook a deliberate process to choose a new under-21 coach, evaluating different profiles of French technicians.
Henry, who notably scored 51 goals in 123 appearances for France and played a role in their European Championship victory in 2000, returned to Belgium’s coaching staff in May 2021 for his second stint as assistant coach under Roberto Martinez. However, his association with the team ceased after Domenico Tedesco succeeded Martinez in February 2023.
Thierry Henry will announce his inaugural squad of France on August 31, preceding a friendly match against Denmark on September 7, followed by a Euro U21 qualifier against Slovenia on September 11.
Recently, Henry has fulfilled an assistant role for the Belgian national team under Roberto Martinez, concurrently contributing to CBS Sports’ punditry duties in the USA. While acclaimed as one of the premier strikers in football history, Henry’s managerial journey has, thus far, encountered some underwhelming moments.
Stepping into the shoes of Sylvain Ripoll, who guided under-21 Les Bleus to a quarter-final exit at the European Championships, succumbing 3-1 to Ukraine, Henry faces the looming challenge of the Paris Olympics, now less than a year away. With France poised for the gold medal contention, the upcoming event stands as a pivotal milestone on his horizon.
