Olympics is giving Thierry Henry chance to show coaching career is no joke

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Great players do not always make great managers and, for Thierry Henry, there have been times in his coaching career when his own brilliance on the football field has proved problematic. During his disastrous spell at Monaco, for example, he once demonstrated a piece of skill to such spectacular effect that none of his players dared try it after him.

Clearly, there is a fine line between inspiration and intimidation – and Henry has not always succeeded in finding that balance. This is one reason why his progress as a manager has been slower than he would have liked, and indeed one reason why many outsiders had effectively written off his chances of ever becoming an elite-level coach.

But Henry is still learning, still improving and still trying to make his way in the world of management. The former Arsenal striker is currently in the process of spectacularly rebuilding his coaching reputation, thanks to his eye-catching work at this summer’s Olympic Games, and on Friday his France side meet Spain in the tournament’s final.

The immediate prize is a gold medal. But, over the longer-term, there is much more to be gained for Henry. Just this week, the president of the French Football Federation did not reject the possibility of Henry ultimately succeeding the long-serving Didier Deschamps as the manager of the country’s senior team.

“When I appointed him to this position [coach of the France under-21s], there were some who had doubts given what he had done previously,” said FFF president Philippe Diallo in an interview with RMC. “I had confidence in him and he is proving it.”

Perhaps the most striking element of Henry’s work at the Olympics is the bond he has evidently created with his players. After France’s thrilling semi-final victory over Egypt, he was filmed dancing in the dressing room. The players were all cheering him on, urging this legend of the sport to be one with them. “Honestly I am living a dream,” he said that night. “I don’t want to wake up.”

It feels relevant that Henry is managing an inexperienced squad. At the Olympics, all but three players must be aged 23 or younger. These are young footballers with whom Henry has connected, and it is clear that he prefers working with those in the early stages of their careers. “Sometimes the youngster is a bit more open about what you are saying to him,” he said last year, in an interview on The Rest Is Football podcast.

The stars of the French team have been Michael Olise, now of Bayern Munich after leaving Crystal Palace, and Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta. Both players scored against Egypt, with Mateta continuing his excellent form from the second half of last season.

Henry, who played under Arsène Wenger at Arsenal and Pep Guardiola at Barcelona, has always been a football obsessive. He has described himself as a “thinker” on the pitch. As a coach, the challenge for him has been to effectively convey those thoughts to his players. With Belgium, as an assistant to Roberto Martinez, he was regarded as a valued member of the coaching staff. At Monaco, though, he struggled badly in the top job and lasted only 20 games.

He had a better time in his next role, at Montreal Impact, but ultimately walked away because the pandemic prevented him from seeing his family. He later revealed that he struggled badly with his mental health during Covid, and that he was “crying almost every day” during his time in Montreal.

At which point, Henry could easily have pursued an easier life. His punditry career has been successful and lucrative, and a figure of his status and image is hardly short of commercial opportunities.

But the old competitive fires still burn within him, and Henry had unfinished business on the touchline. Of his decision to accept the France under-21 job, he has said that “something was missing”. To see the ferocity of his celebrations during this Olympics, and the joy of his dancing in the dressing room, is to see a man who is clearly fulfilled on a sporting level. Punditry simply does not provide such emotional highs.

It must help that Henry, 46, and France are currently part of a wider collective sporting euphoria in their country, which comes after a time of great political uncertainty. The Olympics party continues in Paris and, if they can defeat Spain, the French footballers will become key figures in that celebration.

“Every night I watch and get goosebumps when I see guys win,” said Henry on Thursday. “When we manage to come together we are a beautiful country, and I think we needed this after all that happened just before the competition.”

Henry needed it on a personal level, too. This Olympic Games could come to represent the thrilling turning point of his coaching career.

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