Surprise!
Former French international Thierry Henry will return to the management of the Belgian football team on the occasion of the Euro (June 11-July 11), the Belgian Football Federation announced on Sunday ( RBFA).
"Business in progress: we welcome Thierry Henry to the staff for Euro-2020", can we read on the
and
pages
"Belgian Red Devils", official accounts devoted to the news of the Red Devils.
News that surprised everyone, even the closest observers to the national team.
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No details have yet been provided by the RBFA, but according to the Belgian press, Henry, 43, will be part of the technical staff and will return to the post of assistant to Roberto Martinez he had held between 2016 and 2018. As in of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where Eden Hazard and his teammates reached the semi-finals, Henry is expected to be in charge of the forwards, Romelu Lukaku, Mitchy Batsuhayi and Christian Benteke. The former player of Monaco, Juventus, Barcelona or Arsenal had been without a club since February 25, the date of his resignation from his post as coach of Montreal, in the North American Football Championship (MLS) for mainly family reasons.
Since leaving the Belgian selection, Henry, crowned 1998 world champion and 2000 European champion with the Blues, has hardly convinced in the role of coach.
For his first experience, he had first failed in Monaco, one of his former clubs, which had sacked him after only three months in office in early 2019.
“Thierry has this experience which allows me to constantly improve. His departure will leave a void "
Romelu Lukaku in 2018
Since his first stint with the Red Devils, Henry had never really been replaced in the Belgium team where the very discreet Scotsman Shaun Maloney had donned the costume of assistant coach. Spaniard Roberto Martinez as well as Belgian players, including striker Romelu Lukaku, have never hidden their pleasure in working with the Frenchman.
“Thierry has this experience which allows me to constantly improve.
His departure will leave a void, ”Lukaku regretted in 2018 after the announcement of Henry's departure.
The Belgian press was “surprised” by the announcement of the Frenchman's return to the management, noting, like
The Last Hour
on its website, that he “was very appreciated within the group”.
The
SudPresse
newspaper
website
goes even further by imagining Henry as Martinez's successor in the event of the latter's departure at the end of the Euro.
Successor of Martinez?
“Courted in particular by Tottenham, Roberto Martinez could be tempted by a new adventure five years after joining our country. Thierry Henry has a profile that could not be better for the job and can ultimately be considered the ideal candidate to succeed the Spaniard, ”notes
SudPresse
. Henry is the top scorer in the history of the France team with 51 goals in 123 caps. He is also the most prolific goalscorer in Arsenal history with 228 goals.
He also has two English league titles in his record in 2002 and 2004, a season that the Gunners, nicknamed the “Invincibles”, had finished without knowing defeat, under the orders of Arsene Wenger.
Belgium, 3rd at the last World Cup in 2018, is one of the favorites for the European title.
She will face in the group stage in Group B Russia (June 12), Denmark (June 17) and Finland (June 21).
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