It is unlikely that Thierry Henry is sensitive to date matches. The “results” alone are of interest to him. How, however, not to be struck by a strange coincidence? Tuesday afternoon, perched on a platform, the former striker of the Blues (51 goals in 123 games) held his first conference as coach of the France Espoirs team (under 21), in front of an audience of journalists … and Raymond Domenech. Thirty years ago almost to the day, the latter occupied the same place, replacing Marc Bourrier at short notice at the head of the Bleuets. Domenech held the position between 1993 and 2004.
Curious analogy and real surprise for Thierry Henry to see the one he continues to call “coach” in the packed house. “This gentleman you see in the background helped me a lot and the France team does not refuse. ” And for good reason. Just crowned with his title of world champion, obtained at home with the A team, at the age of 20, in 1998, Titi experienced a delicate period in club, at AS Monaco and Juventus, making even his return to the Espoirs, then trained by Raymond Domenech. The goal: to help the team qualify for the Euro 2000 finals and the Sydney Olympics (2000). “I haven’t cried often on the pitch or in the locker room, but the elimination against the Italians [France lost 2-1 after extra time in the second leg] affected me, recalls Thierry Henry, taking as witness the one he rubbed shoulders with later in the A. It was important to me to do the Olympic Games. »
“The Games are Marie-José Pérec, the Barjots…”
With Gaël Clichy, his former partner at Arsenal and in the France team, and Gérald Baticle, coach of Angers until December 2022, Thierry Henry must lead the selection towards “an event that happens once a century: the Olympic Games in Paris “, recalled Philippe Diallo, president of the French Football Federation (FFF). Sylvain Ripoll’s successor, dismissed on July 31 after six years at the head of the selection, did not hide his joy in living this “historic moment”, at home: “The Games are Marie-José Pérec, the Barjots…”
For this event to turn into an idyll – since hanging up his boots at the end of 2014, the former Arsenal star (1999-2007) has had various mixed experiences on the bench – he will have to do better than his predecessor. Despite a talented generation, the Espoirs had been eliminated in pools in Tokyo in 2021. “As a former player, I find it difficult to understand what happened in Tokyo. Coaching an Under-21 team is difficult and the generation changes all the time. The best go higher and the priority will be to create an osmosis between the players”, hammered Thierry Henry, referring to the “sticks in the wheels” to which this category of young people was subject.
Often frustrated to be part of the Espoirs, the players, like William Saliba or Eduardo Camavinga, who could have participated in the Euro Espoirs organized this summer in Romania and Georgia, aspire to a place in the team A. “Les Espoirs are a selection to be respected,” recalled Thierry Henry. It’s not a punishment. »
Podium objective
Since 1988, Les Bleuets have not won a single title. In addition to the low esteem given to this team, the Olympics are not part of the events sanctioned by the international federation. Thus, the clubs are not obliged to release their best elements for this competition. A problem that Philippe Diallo is trying to remedy: “I started seeing professional clubs. We are going to organize meetings with the presidents and the coaches so that the French clubs are part of a national interest. We want to line up the best possible team for the deadline [of the Olympics]. »
With the objective being the podium at the Paris Games, the former Prime Video consultant – a role in which he was, he says, not “fulfilled” – promises to put himself “at the service of the France A team. » Trained by Didier Deschamps. Criticized for his rather divisive communication – in Monaco, he had alienated the locker room by openly criticizing his players during press conferences – Henry will have “a lot of pedagogy to do”, to “understand the codes of young people”.
For this first public outing as coach of Les Bleuets, Titi lived up to his reputation: no flashy declarations but humor, skill, emotion… and a warm hug to Raymond Domenech.
