Last week, it looked like Thierry Henry was set to return to Ligue 1 after 20 years of absence. The former French international, who is determined to pursue a coaching career, was negotiating with Bordeaux, and reports suggested that he was close to signing a contract.
However, on Monday the media announced that the 41-year-old will not work at Bordeaux. That was later confirmed by the club president Stephane Martin. According to reports, Henry was concerned about the availability of finances and uncertainty about the club ownership - at the moment, Bordeaux are holding negotiations about a possible takeover by the American investment fund GASP. Besides, the Frenchmen needed some guarantees about logistics and transfer policy, but could not get them from Bordeaux.
The six-time French champions, who finished sixth in the past Ligue 1 season, started the new season with Gustavo Poyet at the helm. However, the Uruguayan tactician was soon internally suspended for his public criticism of the club's transfer policy. Poyet's contract is expected to be terminated, and putting Eric Bedouet in charge of the team is just a temporary decision, so the club are looking for a permanent coach.
The world and European champion Henry, who finished his playing career at New York Red Bull in 2014, went on to work as a pundit at Sky Sports. Besides, he became a member of Roberto Martinez's coaching stuff at the Belgian national team, and participated in the recent World Cup in that role.
But now the Frenchman seems to be ready for an independent work. He has already left Sky Sports to focus on his career as a coach. Bordeaux, who struggled to fight for the Champions League tickets in the recent years, looked like a good option for the start. Many former teammates and coaches, including Arsene Wenger, said they would be happy if Henry signed with the French side, and it would certainly be exciting for Bordeaux players to work with a football legend. However, the club did not manage to meet Thierry's high demands.
Interestingly, his former teammate at France Patrick Vieira has started to work in Ligue 1 this summer, as he took over at Nice. But his first steps in the new role were hardly convincing, as the club claimed just one point in the three opening games of the new season.
Henry, who was also linked with Aston Villa a few weeks ago, will now continue looking for a club where he could start his coaching career. And Bordeaux are now negotiating with Claudio Ranieri, who left Nantes at the end of the last season. The Italian, who also worked at Monaco in the past, has enough Ligue 1 experience.
Comments