Thierry Henry Resigns as France U21 Coach Following Olympic Final Defeat

Thierry Henry has announced his resignation as the coach of the France under-21 football team, as confirmed by the French Football Federation (FFF) on Monday. The former France international made this decision after leading the under-23 side to a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Henry, who holds the record for most goals scored in the Premier League for Arsenal, took on the role of coach for the French youth team last year and was contracted until June 2025. However, citing personal reasons, he has chosen to step down from his position.

Henry oversaw Les Bleuets' first run to the final of an Olympics men's tournament since winning gold in the 1984 Games in Los Angeles.

His young side eventually went down 5-3 after extra time against Spain to end a promising run that had started inauspiciously after Henry was obliged to make several changes to his squad pre-tournament due to the refusal of certain clubs to release their players for the Games.

"I would like to thank the FFF and President Philippe Diallo for giving me this incredible opportunity," said Henry, 47, in an FFF statement.

"Winning an Olympic silver medal for my country will remain one of the proudest moments of my life. I'm incredibly grateful to the federation, the players, the staff and the fans for giving me this magical experience."

Federation boss Diallo thanked the 1998 World Cup winner for "all the work he accomplished as coach of the Espoirs (under-21s) and Olympic sides".

"We obviously regret this decision, as Thierry Henry was able to achieve the objectives set for him by winning a silver medal at the Olympic Games in Paris," he added.

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"Having followed him throughout this campaign, I witnessed first-hand his great professionalism, his rigour and his love for the blue jersey."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)