The French Football Federation have made Thierry Henry the new manager of France Under-21.
The 1998 FIFA World Cup winner has been saddled with the task of managing the team at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
Henry will be replacing Sylvain Ripoll, who was dismissed following France’s watery performance at the 2023 European Championships for the Under-21s.
Les Espoirs crashed out of the tournament after they were defeated in the quarter-finals by Ukraine.
53-year-old Gerald Baticle will be working alongside Thierry Henry as his assistant manager.
Baticle was last manager of Ligue 2 side Angers, from May 2021 till November 2022 and he was also previously assistant manager of Olympique Lyon from July 2011 till May 2021.
Thierry Henry will be making his return to the dugout after bowing out as the assistant coach of Belgium following the Red Devils abysmal showing at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Thierry Henry’s managerial career
Henry began his managerial career handling the youth teams of Arsenal from 2015 – 2016.
The Frenchman also managed AS Monaco from 2018 – 2019, where he endured a horrendous spell.
Thierry Henry was fired by the Ligue 1 side on January 24, 2019, and they sat 19th on the league table at the time of his exit.
The 46-year-old also left the club with a horrible record of 4 victories, 5 draws, and 11 defeats in 20 matches.
At CF Montreal from 2019-2021, he had a fair-weather stint in America, leading the club to their first playoff finish in four seasons.
However, Henry left the role in 2021 due to personal reasons, as he wanted to be closer to his children who reside in London.
The Arsenal great will first take charge of the Under-21s in a friendly encounter against Denmark on September 7, 2023.
He will afterward lead France on the 11th of September 2023 to play against Slovenia in the Euro qualifiers.
Thierry Henry’s side have been placed in Group H, and the encounter against Slovenia is their first game in the group.
The qualifiers for the European Under-21 Championship will see them also face off against Bosnia U21, Cyprus U21, and Austria U21.
The Group stage for the tournament is expected to run from September to November 2023.
Statement from French FA confirming the appointment of Thierry Henry as France Under-21 manager
The French FA revealed via a statement that Thierry Henry has penned a two-year contract, which will see him manage the U-21s till 2025.
The French FA wrote: “Thierry Henry has been appointed as the new France U21 manager, up until 2025.
“The former French international will lead Les Bleuets through the upcoming qualifying campaign for the 2025 U21 Euros, as well as Olympic Games in Paris in 2024.”
Thierry Henry has a poor win percentage as a manager, however, he would be hoping for positive fortunes handling France.
In 49 games managed, Henry has won 13 games, drawn 9, lost 27, and has a 26.53% win percentage.
