AS Monaco have appointed Thierry Henry as their new manager. Henry will replace Leonardo Jardim after his sacking due to a string of disappointing results for Monaco this season. Jardim was Monaco’s manager from 2014-2018, leading them to the league title in the 2016-17 season.
Henry was previously Belgium’s assistant manager and helped them to third place at the World Cup this summer. Monaco will be the first club that Henry will be the head coach of. Previously , Bordeaux offered him to become their manager but Henry declined.
As a matter of fact, Monaco was the club where Henry got his start in professional football. He spent two years in Monaco’s youth setup before joining the senior team in 1994 at the age of 17. Henry played for Monaco from 1994-1999, scoring 28 goals from 141 matches. During his time at Monaco, Henry won his only Ligue 1 title in the 1996-97 season.
Following his appointment, Henry wrote on Instagram, “It is with great pride that I am delighted to announce that I have accepted the position to become the manager of AS Monaco FC. I was fortunate to receive some very attractive offers over the last few months but Monaco will always be close to my heart. Having started my footballing career with this great club, it seems like fate that I will now begin my managerial career here too. I’m incredibly excited to be given this opportunity but now the hard work must begin. Can’t wait.”
About leaving Belgium’s coaching staff, Henry said, “It’s with great sadness that I must say goodbye to the Belgium national team. I have had an incredible two years helping Roberto Martinez coach this wonderfully talented group of players and watch them blossom into the great side they are today. I would like to thank the Belgium federation, Roberto, all the staff and players for making a Frenchman feel so welcome amongst all of you Red Devils! I wish you every success in the future and I’m sure there will be even greater things to come.”
Henry will be taking charge of Monaco at a very difficult time for the club. Monaco are currently in the relegation zone with only 6 points. They are still four points behind from being out of the relegation zone. They have lost both their Champions League fixtures so far. Hence, it will be really interesting to see how Henry handles the situation.
Henry’s first match as Monaco manager will be against Strasbourg on Saturday.
