Speaking to Téléfoot, France U21 manager Thierry Henry waxed lyrical about Arsène Wenger and Pep Guardiola, both of whom he praises for their impact on his own managerial career.
As a player, Henry worked under both coaches. He collaborated with compatriot Wenger at Arsenal, under whom he featured 379 times, scoring 228 goals and registering 103 assists. He then moved to Barcelona where he played under Guardiola 74 times, scoring 30 goals and registering 15 assists.
Asked by Les Bleus legend Bixente Lizarazu who influenced him as a player, and now as a manager, Henry noted the impact that Guardiola had on him. “Being a manager is about asking the question: Can you make your players more intelligent, and understand football a bit better? Let’s use Guardiola as an example: I thought I was good at football but when I arrived at Barcelona, I just thought, wow! What is he talking about?” began Henry.
He continued, “Arsène Wenger when I arrived at Arsenal, opened up my mind in continuity with what I knew from Clairefontaine; Pep Guardiola opened my eyes. He made me understand that pressing was good. Generally speaking, as an attacker, you don’t normally want to do these things. But then I developed a desire for pressing high and appreciating another aspect of the game.”
Henry, who notably had an underwhelming managerial spell at AS Monaco, got life as manager of Les Bleuets off to a winning start. The France U21 side beat Denmark 4-1 thanks to a brace from RC Lens’ Elye Wahi and goals from Olympique Lyonnais’ Rayan Cherki and Johann Lepenant. Henry’s side face Slovenia on Monday.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle