By Humberto Viera
Aug 19, 2024, 12:32 PM EDT
Thierry Henry, coach of the French under-23 team that reached the Olympic final, has decided to leave his post almost a year before his contract expires in June 2025.
The French Football Federation (FFF) released a statement on Monday explaining that Henry informed President Philippe Diallo of his decision, following an “exceptional campaign at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which resulted in a silver medal.”
Diallo expressed his gratitude for the “great work done” by Henry at the helm of the Olympic and U-23 teams. The manager regretted his departure, especially because Henry “fulfilled the objectives set”, highlighting the silver medal, 40 years after France won gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
The FFF president praised Henry’s “great professionalism, rigour and love for the blue jersey” and wished him success in his professional future.
For his part, Henry thanked Diallo and the Federation for the “incredible opportunity” to lead the team. The coach said that “the silver medal at the Olympic Games will be one of the greatest prides of my life” and described the experience as “magical.”
Diallo plans to begin the process of selecting a replacement “in the coming days” with the intention of having him in place for the first two Euro 2025 qualifiers scheduled for early September.
At 47, Henry managed to lead the team to the final despite the absence of several key players, who were unable to participate in the Games due to the refusal of their clubs, the most notable case being Kylian Mbappé, who was signed by Real Madrid. In the final for gold, Spain won 5-3 in extra time, with two goals from Rayo Vallecano’s Sergio Camello.
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