French football legend Henry named Monaco coach

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) - French football side Monaco on Saturday appointed former star player Thierry Henry to manage the club.

The club announced that Henry, 41, will manage the professional team for three seasons until June 2021.

"In the first place, I thank Monaco for giving me the opportunity to coach the team of this club which is so special to me," Henry said on the club's website.

"I am very happy to come back to Monaco and extremely determined to meet the challenges ahead. I cannot wait to meet the players to start working together."

"His knowledge of football, his passion for the game, his high standards and his commitment to our colors make his nomination a reality. Thierry is both aware of the task ahead and eager to start his new job," said Vadim Vasilyev, Monaco's vice president and CEO.

This week Monaco sacked Portuguese coach Leonardo Jardim over the team's poor form as "Les Rouges et Blancs" (Red and Whites) are now in the 18th spot with six points in the French top division Ligue 1 led by Paris Saint-Germain having 27 points.

During his football career, Henry played for Monaco, Italian giants Juventus, London's Arsenal, Spanish heavyweights Barcelona, and the New York Red Bulls.

Henry scored a total of 356 goals in 771 appearances.

Former French international Henry became assistant coach of the Belgian national team in 2016.