Thierry Henry resigns as the manager of the France under-21 team citing ‘personal reasons’ following their success in winning a silver medal at the Paris Olympics.

Thierry Henry, the former Arsenal and Barcelona forward, has made the surprising decision to step down as the manager of France’s under-21 side. The French Football Federation confirmed this news, stating that Henry is leaving his position for personal reasons. This comes just a year into his two-year deal.

Henry was appointed as head coach of the under-21 team, known as “Les Espoirs,” with the aim of leading them into the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. However, their journey ended in disappointment as they were beaten 5-3 by Spain in the final, resulting in a silver medal for Les Bleus.

The match saw Enzo Millot open the scoring for France, but Fermin Lopez’s brace and Alex Baena’s stunning free-kick gave Spain a 3-1 lead at half-time. Jean-Philippe Mateta’s stoppage-time penalty forced extra time after Maghnes Akliouche had halved the deficit. However, it was Sergio Camello who scored twice in the additional half-hour to secure the gold for Spain.

In a statement, Henry expressed his gratitude to the French Football Federation, the players, the staff, and the supporters for allowing him to experience the magical journey of winning a silver medal at the Olympic Games. He also thanked the federation and its president, Philippe Diallo, for the incredible opportunity.

Diallo, however, expressed regret over Henry’s decision to step down early, as the former player had achieved the objectives set for him by winning the silver medal. Diallo praised Henry’s professionalism, rigour, and love for the national team jersey, and wished him luck for his future career.

This marks Henry’s third managerial position, following his stints at Monaco and Montreal Impact. He also served as Roberto Martinez’s assistant manager for the Belgian national team, in addition to starting his coaching journey with Arsenal’s under-19 side. As a player, Henry made 123 international appearances for France, scoring 175 goals in 258 appearances for Arsenal.