Thierry Henry resigns as head coach of CF Montréal

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Thierry Henry has resigned as head coach of CF Montréal due to family reasons, the club announced on Thursday.

Henry spent a season as head coach in Montreal after taking the lead before the 2020 campaign. He had an 8-13-2 record in MLS, leading his club to the Audi MLS Cup playoffs as well as the quarterfinals. of the CONCACAF Champions League final.

“With a heavy heart I decided to make this decision,” Henry said in a club statement. “The last year has been extremely difficult for me personally. Due to the global pandemic, I could not see my children. Unfortunately, due to ongoing restrictions and the fact that we will have to move to the US again for a few months, it will not be any different. The separation is too great for me and my children. Therefore, I have to make the decision to return to London and leave CF Montréal with great sadness. “

Henry inherited a Montreal team that missed the playoffs in 2019, then sold his best player before the season, Ignacio Piatti, as well as another player named during the season in Saphir Taider. Their season ended in a heartbreaking fashion, losing by a deep goal during the stoppage against the New England Revolution in the Play-In round.

“Thierry’s departure is unhappy and premature, as this was very promising, but he informed me of his desire to return with his family, as the situation was and remains very difficult for both him and his family,” he said. said sporting director Olivier Renard. “I want to thank him, first on a human level, for leading the players by example last year, being away from his family, but also from the sports level and for what we have built together since his arrival. We wanted to build this club and we are on the right track. The process of finding a new head coach is already underway and I will be looking for someone to align with the philosophy I have implemented. ”

After one of the most decorated careers in the history of professional football, including four and a half seasons in MLS with the New York Red Bulls, Henry began his coaching career at the academy of English club Arsenal in February 2015. In August 2016, Henry became assistant coach of the Belgian national team with Roberto Martinez and helped the Red Devils advance to the semifinals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, eventually reaching third place after beating England in the third place match.

“I would like to thank the fans, the players and the entire staff of this club who made me feel so welcome,” Henry said. “I would also like to thank Kevin Gilmore, Olivier Renard and of course Joey and the whole Saputo family for giving me this wonderful opportunity. We had an impossible year together and making the playoffs with this group of people is an experience I will never forget. Thank you all for being there on this journey and I wish you much success for the future. ”

In previous weeks, Henry had been linked to a managerial vacancy at the Championship Bournemouth club, although they announced over the weekend that interim manager Jonathan Woodgate would continue until the end of the season.

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