Arsenal in conflict with club legend Thierry Henry, over upcoming Olympics

By
published

Thierry Henry is Arsenal's greatest-ever player - but the pair are at odds over the Olympics in Paris this summer

Thierry Henry looks on
France Under-23s head coach Thierry Henry has suffered a huge blow (Image credit: Alamy)

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry’s preparations for the Olympic Games has faced a setback.

Le Parisien state that the France Under-23s coach has seen a huge blow to his chances of winning gold at the forthcoming tournament – as Henry's former employers have told him they would not release William Saliba to represent his nation at the tournament.

Henry is considered one of Arsenal’s greatest-ever players, scoring 228 goals during two tenures. But the North London club have reportedly put an obstacle in his quest to enter the Olympics with the strongest possible team.

William Saliba of France salutes the fans following the UEFA Nations League League A Group 1 match between France and Austria at Stade de France on September 22, 2022 in Saint-Denis near Paris, France.

William Saliba won't feature in the Olympics for France (Image credit: Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)

Henry has been grappling with numerous clubs refusing to release their players for the Paris Summer Games, with Real Madrid being among the most notable of these clubs. It’s thought that the club will not allow their players to take part in the Games, given that there is also the Euros to contend with. 

Senior France manager Didier Deschamps has even agreed and is not keen on the idea of seemingly future Los Blancos player Kylian Mbappe playing at Euro 2024 and the Olympics in the same summer.

“It is very difficult from a psychological and physical viewpoint to take part in two competitions like that one after the other, in the summer, without having any holiday,” Deschamps said in March.

Kylian Mbappé celebrates after scoring his third goal for France against Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final.

Kylian Mbappe is unlikely to feature in the Games, either (Image credit: Getty Images)

Saliba has already been selected for the Euros but as a consequence is barred from participating in the Olympics. 

The close scheduling of the two competitions means that participating in both would leave Saliba with virtually no rest after a demanding season, as well as no preseason preparation for the following campaign.

Antoine Griezmann, however, has expressed his desire to play in both competitions.

“I'm going to do everything I can to take part. I'll have a discussion with the directors when the time comes to find out if they'll let me go,”  he said. “Despite the fact that the tournament is taking place outside the dates set by Fifa. I know my body, we have top-level physiotherapists, so there's nothing to worry about.” 

More Arsenal stories

Newcastle United stance on Arsenal transfer raid for Aaron Ramsdale as alternative found

Arsenal report: Feyenoord star opens up regarding Premier League interest from Arsenal

Southampton vs Leeds Manchester United and Arsenal on alert as Barcelona star is put up for sale: report

Jacque Talbot
Jacque Talbot

Jacque Talbot is a freelance football journalist who predominantly specialises in transfer stories and exclusives. He began his career in 2016 covering the world-renowned Sandbach United, of North West Counties fame, before earning a spot on the sports desks of national papers, where he bounced between several outlets such as Sportbible, the Express, Mirror, and Daily Star. An NCTJ graduate of the News Associates who swapped investigative journalism in the Costa del Sol for football reporting in Northern England, he first wrote for FourFourTwo in December 2023.