Published 12:16 IST, February 26th 2021
Why did Thierry Henry quit Montreal? France legend cites personal reasons
Why did Thierry Henry quit Montreal? The Arsenal legend announced that he stepped down as head coach of the MLS club in order to move back to London.
On Thursday, Major League Soccer (MLS) side CF Montreal announced that Thierry Henry was stepping down as head coach of the club. The France great claimed that the role of being a manager in the USA was having too much of an impact on his family. Henry took charge of Montreal in November 2019 but stated that the coronavirus pandemic had made it impossible for him to continue, stating he was now heading back to London.
MLS news: Why did Thierry Henry quit Montreal?
On Instagram, Henry revealed that his decision to step down as head coach of Montreal was due to family reasons. Upon his resignation, he wrote, "It is with a heavy heart that I'm writing this message. The last year has been an extremely difficult one for me personally. Due to the worldwide pandemic, I was unable to see my children."
Henry went on to add that the travel restrictions due to the pandemic also didn't help his cause, "Unfortunately, due to the ongoing restrictions and the fact that we will have to relocate to the US again for several months (at least) will be no different. The separation is too much of a strain for me and my kids. Therefore, it is with much sadness that I must make the decision to return to London and leave CF Montreal." Henry wrote. Henry starred for Arsenal as a player from 1998-2007, winning two Premier League titles with the North London club.
Henry, spent 15 months with CF Montreal as the club has been forced to relocate to the United States this season due to Canada's COVID-19 travel restrictions. "I would like to thank the fans, players and all the staff of this club that have made me feel so welcome," he concluded. Henry has a daughter, Tea, from his first wife Claire Merry before they split in 2008 and the former Barcelona striker is now in a relationship with Bosnian-born personality Andrea Rajacic with whom they have a son, Tristan.
Montreal was Henry’s second job as head coach, having spent just over a year at Ligue 1 side Monaco from 2018. He signed a two-year contract with the Canadian club in November 2019. Henry enjoyed a positive full season at Montreal, guiding them to the MLS playoffs before they were eliminated by New England Revolution.
In his lone full season, Henry led Montreal to eight wins, 13 losses and two draws in the pandemic-shortened season, finishing in ninth place in the Eastern Conference. Earlier this month, Henry was linked with taking over at the job at Championship club Bournemouth. However, over the weekend, the Cherries announced that interim manager Jonathan Woodgate would continue through the end of the season.
Image Credits - AP
Updated 12:17 IST, February 26th 2021