Supported by several of Belgium’s executives, the French football legend Thierry Henry may see himself replacing Roberto Martinez as coach. We learnt this week.
According to information from Het Laatste Nieuws, the former French international reportedly declared his interest to the Belgian federation informally, without however officially applying for the position.
Will Thierry Henry become the new boss of the Red Devils? It is possible, but not (yet) certain.
Romelu Lukaku and Toby Alderweireld, two of the executives of the Belgian team, have in any case openly pleaded in recent days for a candidacy of the former striker for the post of coach, left vacant since the departure of Roberto Martinez after the World Cup 2022.
“For me, Thierry Henry is Belgium’s next coach. There’s no doubt about it,” Lukaku told Sky Italia on Monday. “Henry would be the ideal solution,” Alderweireld told Belgian public television VRT on Wednesday.
At the end of December, the Belgian Federation (RBFA) had launched a call for candidates to succeed the Spaniard Roberto Martinez, whose contract had not been renewed after the elimination of the Red Devils in the first round of the World Cup.
In a short announcement , the RBFA had written that it was looking for “a serial winner with experience in managing top level players”.
Thierry Henry, 45, was runner-up for the Ballon d’Or in 2003, FIFA World Player of the Year in 2004, and finished third place for the Ballon d’Or in 2006.
He first became assistance coach for Belgian national team in 2016 before successively moving two years later to Monaco and Montreal Impact as coach. Henry was reappointed assistant coach of Belgium in 2021.