While the World Cup represents the holy grail for any footballer, Thierry Henry experienced something stronger during the Olympic Games.
Thierry Henry has one of the finest records in French football. Winner of Ligue 1, La Liga, the Premier League and the Champions League at club level, the native of Les Ulis also won the World Cup with the Blues in 1998 then the Euro in 2000 before playing again World Cup final in 2006 in Germany.
For most of the players crowned on July 12, 1998 against Brazil, this world champion title constitutes their fondest career memory. Not only because they wrote the most beautiful page in French football but also because of the communion with an entire country. However, Thierry Henry experienced something stronger this summer by leading the Bleuets to the final of the Olympic Games.
“I thought it was over”
“Personally, the Olympics surpass everything for the simple reason that my children were present in the stands, he confided in an interview with GQ. Although they had seen videos and images from 1998 and 2000, I had not been able to share such emotions with them and with my country. After the final whistle against Spain, the competitor in me was disgusted not to bring gold back to Team France, but seeing my children happy in the stands, I realized that it was beautiful this that we had done. »
“During my playing career, I never managed to put things into perspective like that,” he continued. I went out onto the pitch to gather the team and tell them: “Don't be ashamed, don't be disappointed, you have all my respect.” »
This epic, shared with his players – “the madmen” as he liked to call them – remains unique in his eyes.
“I've experienced a lot in my career: a World Cup final won and another lost, a Champions League final lost and another won, Euro 2000, championship titles… But honestly , I didn't think I could reconnect like that with the French public. I thought it was over”, he said after recalling the pitfalls he had to deal with.
“We had to build a team and implement a playing philosophy in a month. We didn't have the experience of the other teams, and some guys had never played together. Argentina was playing with four world champions. Spain had been European Under-21 champions and had five or six years of experience in common. Despite all that, we managed to take people with us,” he rejoiced, remembering the strongest moment of this story: “The moment when the Parc des Princes spontaneously sang La Marseillaise while the players took the podium will forever be engraved in my memory. I felt an extraordinary cohesion.”
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