Thierry Henry’s appointment as France U21 manager will happen in a matter of days. According to a report from L’Équipe, the legendary French forward will officially take charge of Les Bleuets in two days time.
Indeed, the French FA’s executive committee will convene on Monday and it is expected that Henry will be proposed to the board as the replacement for Sylvain Ripoll. The former Lorient head coach, who coached Les Bleuets since 2017, has been dismissed on the back of a disappointing exit at the hands of Ukraine in the quarter-final stage of the 2023 U21 Euros.
Henry’s appointment is all but certain considering the other known candidates for the job – Sabri Lamouchi, Jocelyn Gourvennec and Julien Stéphan – have been kept in the dark following their interview with the French FA since L’Équipe understands.
Despite his meagre and underwhelming experience as a head coach, Henry’s aura and status as one of France’s best-ever players and his knowledge of France’s young talent pool have proven decisive. The former Arsenal forward will be tasked with leading France during the Olympic football tournament for the 2024 Paris Games as well as qualifying for the 2025 U21 European Championships.
GFFN | Bastien Cheval