Hopeful Hopes and Thierry Henry - it's a great fit

Once upon a time, Thierry Henry was one of the brightest young prospects coming out of France. In 1997, he played in a handful of games for the Under-20 national team before quickly transitioning to the senior squad that won the World Cup the next year. Over two decades later, Henry has been made head coach of France Under-21 national team, the selection they call Hopes (Les Espoirs) in France.

French Football Federation announced Henry has signed a two-year contract to manage both the U21 side and the Olympic team for next year's Summer Olympic Games in Paris. This move comes after Sylvain Ripoll was relieved of his duties following France's early exit from the European Under-21 Championship.

Gerald Baticle, a former manager of Angers, will be joining Henry's coaching staff as an assistant coach. Henry, a legendary figure in football, is the second-highest all-time scorer for the French national team. He is well-known for his illustrious playing career with Arsenal, Barcelona, and the French national team. However, his coaching career has seen its share of ups and downs. While he enjoyed a highly successful playing career, his transition into coaching has been marked by mixed results.

His initial venture into management was at AS Monaco, where he had a challenging time. He took over the club in October 2018 when they struggled in Ligue 1. However, his tenure was short-lived, lasting for just 20 games. During that period, Monaco won only four matches, and Henry left the club in January 2019.

The next coaching opportunity came with Montreal Impact in the MLS. He helped the team qualify for MLS playoffs after a four-year absence. Despite the relative success, Henry stepped down from his position in February 2021 due to personal reasons, mainly to spend more time with his family.

Between his spells at Monaco and Montreal, Henry gained experience and exposure by serving as an assistant coach to Roberto Martinez for the Belgian national team. This role was a part of his attempt to broaden his coaching knowledge and learn from experienced mentors.

Henry's coaching journey showcases the challenges even highly accomplished players can face when transitioning into management. Coaching and managing a team involves different skills and pressures than playing on the field, and success is not guaranteed. However, his appointment as the head coach of France's Hopes indicates that he continues to be given opportunities to develop and prove himself as a coach.

His managerial journey started after he retired from professional football in 2014, scoring a record-breaking 228 goals for Arsenal. He also earned 123 caps for the French national team, scoring 51 goals. Henry's first match in charge of the Under-21 team will be a friendly against Denmark on 7 September, followed by a Euro qualifiers match against Slovenia four days later. This appointment marks his return to management after leaving as an assistant coach with the Belgium national team following the 2018 World Cup.