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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Jack Lacey-Hatton

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry emerges as shock contender to become France women manager

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has emerged as a potential candidate to succeed Corinne Diacre as the head coach of the French national women’s football team.

Diarce was sacked last week as the fallout from a bitter dispute between leading players and the national federation continues. It has emerged that former Arsenal forward and Belgium assistant manager Henry could be the figure the French Football Federation turns towards to heal the rift.

According to French sports newspaper L'Equipe, several FFF officials have put forward Henry's name as a potential candidate to lead the team into the 2023 Women's World Cup. They believe a commission that will make a recommendation to Philippe Daillo, the federation's interim president, view the Gunners legend could be a serious option. Henry, who also played for Monaco, Juventus, Barcelona and New York Red Bulls during a glittering career, last managed at Montreal Impact in Major League Soccer.

He later returned to the Belgium coaching staff, assisting Roberto Martinez, but departed following the 2022 World Cup, where the Red Devils were knocked out in the group stage. Elsewhere this season, he has regularly appeared as a pundit on CBS Sports' television coverage of the Champions League, alongside Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards.

Henry's coaching career so far has suffered its share of disappointments. He took charge of former club Monaco during the 2018-19 season, but failed to win a game in his first month in the job. The French World Cup winner was then dismissed towards the end of January that same season with the club languishing towards to the bottom of Ligue 1, in 19th.

Henry has yet to coach in the women's game and would be an intriguing appointment should he place Diacre, who was sacked as national manager last week. Prior to her departure, Diacre claimed she had been the subject of a "violent and dishonest" smear campaign.

This was after France captain Wendie Renard and teammates Kadidiatou Diani and Marie-Antoinette Katoto announced they would not be representing their country at this summer's World Cup.

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