Monaco get their man as Henry signs on
Thierry Henry has been named as the new head coach at Monaco.
The former Arsenal and France forward replaces Leonardo Jardim, who was sacked by the Ligue 1 side on Thursday. Henry, who started his career at Monaco, has been working as assistant to Belgium boss Roberto Martinez. He has signed a deal until June 2021 with Monaco and said on their website: “I am very happy to come back to Monaco and extremely determined to meet the challenges ahead.” Jardim led Monaco to the French title in 2017 but last year’s runners-up currently sit 18th with only one win in all competitions. World Cup winner Henry will take his first steps in management after a reported switch to Bordeaux in the summer did not materialise. He was also linked to the manager’s role at Aston Villa following the dismissal of Steve Bruce. “I was fortunate to receive some very attractive offers over the last few months, but Monaco will always be close to my heart”, Henry wrote on Twitter. “Having started my footballing career with this great club, it seems 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.” Henry will take up his new role from tomorrow. He will be joined by Valado Tralhao, the under-23s coach at Benfica, and Patrick Kwame Ampadu, who had been working at Arsenal Academy. Monaco vice president Vadim Vasilyev is confident the 41-year-old can make an impact in the dugout. “His knowledge of football, his passion for the game, his high standards and his commitment to our colours make his nomination a reality,” Vasilyev said. “Thierry is both aware of the task ahead and eager to start his new job. “He can count on our trust and all our support to bring a new dynamic to the team and carry out its mission.” Henry helped Monaco win the French title in 1997, before joining Juventus in 1999. He was reunited with former Monaco boss Arsene Wenger when he moved to Arsenal seven months later, going on to become an integral part of the Invincibles side and eventually the club’s record goalscorer. The Frenchman had been doing some coaching with Arsenal and was more recently part of the backroom staff in Belgium’s run to the semi-finals of the World Cup.