Thierry Henry: For years I loved watching Hazard the most, Real's system suits Bellingham

Yesterday, Eden Hazard officially said goodbye to playing professional football, while at the same time a new superstar, Jude Bellingham, is growing in Real Madrid. On a day when there is not much going on due to the international break, there is much talk of the Belgian ace's decision to hang up his boots, as well as the meteoric rise of the young England midfielder. And Thierry Henry also had something to say about them…

A month and a half ago, Henry decided to return to his coaching business and take over the young French national team, as well as the Olympic team that will play for gold next year in Paris. In an interview with L'Equipe, he talked about the essence of his job, his coaching development, how much he has changed since the time he did his first independent job on the Monaco bench until today, but also about the system that he nourishes.

To begin with - how different is Henry as the coach of the young French national team, compared to the coach we saw in Monaco?

"I haven't changed, but I've evolved over the years, especially through the lessons I've learned. I worked during the pandemic, I worked abroad (Montreal Impact), which was not easy. I couldn't go back home. But that experience made me stronger, I understood things better. I can't say it was difficult, but inevitable. Some guys had children during the corona, others lost a parent, some suffered from anxiety. I don't want to go into details, but when you spend four months together, in one place... If you don't benefit from it, learn about the group, about the players and about yourself, you will never learn. All that helped me evolve as a person. I had to, because I was pressed against the wall."

As a coach, did you "kill" the once great player in you?

"No. The hardest thing, when a great player becomes a coach, is that everyone constantly reminds you that you used to be a player. When I came here, they immediately told me: 'Thierry, you scored a goal here'. I answered: 'Yes, fine, but I'm here to be the coach of the national team'. I understood it then, until I was in Monaco. Of course, my career is something I can't escape from, but it's not helping me now with my new job. It has nothing to do with me anymore. That's why I don't think much about it."

There is a lot of talk about whether or not your players can outgrow you...

"That's the thing... What bothered me the most in Monaco was that I was criticized for not being patient enough with young players. That's nonsense, it was just the opposite. I wouldn't have come to train the young national team if that was the case. But until I do something, I'll probably hear the same thing: 'He was a great player, now it's hard for him to understand when someone can't succeed.'

This is not true?

"No, because at the age of 17 I was already like that. I couldn't understand everything, I wasn't a great player. That's right, it's a part of me. Now I'm careful, I'm evolving. In my head, I don't want to go to extremes. For example, I start with the postulates that my player does not know how to dribble, which is why I will set up a system where the player will feel comfortable to have more options to pass the ball. Once everything is set, it's up to the players to make decisions. Vitinha's goal (for PSG against Rennes on Sunday) was not the result of the coach telling him to do what he did."

How much did the years as a professional consultant, away from the coaching job, help you to broaden your horizons?

"It helped me stay close to the field, and talking to people from football then helped me evolve as a coach. I did an interview with Pep Guardiola, I talked to many coaches... I liked that, I managed to ask them many questions, that helped me. That's when I decided on the 4-3-1-2 system".

When your team plays in the attacking phase, there are only two behind the ball, and five in the attack, 2-3-5 system.

"When we play more often in the opponent's half, the 4-3-1-2 system does not exist. It's not the same tactic when you attack and when you defend."

This system is rarely used...

"When I joined the national team, I looked at the generation based on the players we had. And I had a lot of 'no.9' types. It allowed me to play wide, with the wings, I wanted to put the players in the position where they felt the best. My idea is to get the ball by pressing. When we have possession, the ball must travel between players, not dribble. Dribbling is the last option. The best thing you can do is send a deep ball. After that come people who do illogical things, like Messi, Brazil's Ronaldo, who can dribble past the five and score a goal. But then it is no longer a tactic. Every time you have to have some goals, whether you are in possession of the ball or not."

You found inspiration for your tactical maneuvers in Guardiola's possession system, and how did you manage to introduce them to that system, for which they had not trained before.

"It is not a matter of whether they are our (French) players or not, but a matter of the instinct of those players. The more imagination and instinct a player has, the harder it is to cut off his wings. The coach should allow the player to express himself on the field, but within the limits of the set structures. Why do you think Jude Bellingham is so good at Real Madrid? Because the system allows it. The three midfielders are behind him, the strikers who are in front run and open up space for him to go forward with the ball."

How to teach a player to run for another?

"Watching the matches. Then you see how much someone is really involved in the process. We do a video analysis and then we talk to them. Arsene Wenger opened my mind, but Pep Guardiola opened my eyes. When I came to Barcelona, I had to change completely as a player, which is very difficult when you are 30, not 18 or 20 years old."

Is your team structure made for Rayan Cherki?

"No. This generation has more 'nines', which is why it is best to play in a system with two strikers and a 'ten' behind them. Today, there are fewer and fewer teams with two classic strikers, but that does not mean that I will always play in that system. Our next rival, Bosnia and Herzegovina, plays with five at the back, so maybe we will play something different".

Are you afraid that players might lose their instincts because of all the details they have to pay attention to?

"No. My favorite player for years was Eden Hazard. He was amazing. And he was a true inspirational player. Just tell them where to receive the ball and they will do their thing. Essentially, such players do what they want. It has happened to me many times so far that I look at him (Hazard) and say to myself: 'Wait, what is he doing'? And then I just say to him: 'Well done'! Even I used to have the coach tell me: 'Don't shoot! A second after - well done'. A coach gives instructions, but he cannot control one's imagination and instinct."

What exactly is the structure of a team?

"It is a plan that allows all players to express themselves at their best on the field. For example, in the final of the Champions League in 2009, Barça won against Manchester United (2-0). I was injured, I couldn't run, Iniesta was also injured. Our entire defense was suspended. When I went to bed the night before the game, I knew I wasn't feeling well, I knew I wasn't going to be able to do something big as an individual. But I knew that as a team we could do a lot. That's why I went to bed with peace, even though I couldn't run."

Who in your team has freedom besides Cherki?

"All of them. Each player has at least four options when he should pass the ball, he chooses himself, I don't tell them what to do".

It doesn't seem to be the case in defense...

"In defense, no one has the ball in their possession. When we don't have the ball, I apologize, but then everyone has to run. Everyone knows what they have to do to get the possession back. Then we play pressing, we are dead if the opponent breaks through that pressure. That's why we have to do it all together."

What kind of impact would you like to make as a coach?

"To influence the spirit of my players. It's the best thing you can do. Of course, victories are very important, it is the basis of everything. But what you pass on as a coach to your players is also important. I can name you several people who have had a strong influence on me and yet are not well known. Is this normal? It's not. Because the coaches of younger selections should have the greatest influence on the development of a young player".