Thierry Henry announced as France U-21 head coach ahead of 2024 Paris

Thierry Henry is heading back to the touchline as the new head coach of France’s U-21 team, the France FA announced on Monday. Henry will lead the team as they prepare for the Olympic Games in Paris next summer. He replaces Sylvain Ripoli, who was the team’s coach from 2017 until this summer. Under Ripoli, France were kicked out of this year’s U21 Euros in the quarterfinals by Ukraine and failed to advance out of the group stage at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

The legendary France forward will be in charge of emerging talents like Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise and Lyon’s Bradley Barcola. Expectations are high for a gifted group at a tournament on home soil. France have only won the gold medal for men’s soccer at the Olympics once at the 1984 games in Los Angeles.

The United States, Spain, Ukraine, Morocco, the Dominican Republic, Mali and Egypt are among other teams that have qualified for the men’s soccer tournament at next summer’s Olympics,…