It's become one of the hottest questions of the 2014 MLS Cup Playoffs, presented by AT&T: What will Thierry Henry do at the close of the New York Red Bulls' season?
Henry and his teammates are determined to push the topic off one more week by knocking off the New England Revolution in the second leg of the Eastern Conference Championship on Saturday afternoon (3 pm ET, NBCSN, UDN, TSN2 and RDS2 / get tickets here) and booking a place in MLS Cup.
But that hasn't stopped L'Equipe from celebrating his career in an in-depth cover story in the special weekend edition of the French soccer magazine. And his former French national team colleague Willy Sagnol has offered the legendary striker a spot in the front line at his Ligue 1 club Bordeaux – or a place on Sagnol's technical staff, should he decide to move into coaching.
“If he wants, yes,” Sagnol told reporters with a chuckle during a press conference this week, when asked if there was room for Henry with Les Girondins. “If there are some finances [available], then perhaps.
“I saw Friday morning in an interview that he still wasn’t sure what was going to do with the rest of his life,” added Sagnol, a friend of Henry's and a teammate during
Les Bleus
' glory years at the turn of the century. “I take this opportunity just to get a message across: If he wants to train and become a coach, if he wants to learn some craft, to come and give a hand to the attackers at Girondins de Bordeaux, on everything, on the analysis of the game, the analysis of movement, on specific sessions, he is welcome … The door is open at Girondins for him.”
Henry already expressed an interest in entering the coaching ranks when his playing days are over, noting a desire to someday return to his beloved former club Arsenal FC and help the Gunners win the UEFA Champions League title that eluded him during his long, fruitful stint in London.
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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has said that the Red Bulls' Designated Player has “all the qualities” to grow into a successful coach, but urged him to fully commit to learning the craft. And Henry sounds determined to stay involved in the sport for years to come, telling L'Equipe, “I will die with the love of the game. This will be a beautiful death.”
That memorable line aside, Henry continues to keep quiet about his plans for the short term.
“Nothing is clear,” Henry told L'Equipe. “I have not taken any decision and speculation is not my thing. One thing is certain: I will stay in football, as a coach, a consultant or executive. We will see.”
