Thierry Henry’s Olympic Squad: The Stars Who Got Away

Thierry Henry’s France Olympics squad has been announced, and it’s packed with some of world football’s top talents. However, it could have looked very different if Henry had gotten his way.

The French national team in action

PSG’s Warren Zaire-Emery, Lille’s Leny Yoro, and Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise are all involved, with recently relegated Burnley defender Maxime Esteve also picked by Henry. But Henry’s original wish list was much more extensive.

“You have to know that it’s not easy to find yourself in a situation where you have to go and ask a certain club for permission to be able to take their players, when you actually can’t ask for anything since they are always within their right to not send since it’s not a FIFA date.” - Thierry Henry

Henry attempted to select Aston Villa’s Lucas Digne or Moussa Diaby, but was turned down by the west Midlands outfit. Arsenal refused to release William Saliba, while Chelsea were unwilling to allow defenders Malo Gusto or Benoit Badashile to play in Paris this summer.

Thierry Henry, the French national team coach

Henry faced difficulties outside of the Premier League as well. He had to hold discussions with Bayern Munich over releasing striker Mathys Tel, who was eventually named in the squad. However, he had less luck with Atletico Madrid over Antoine Griezmann, despite the attacking midfielder repeatedly expressing his desire to play. Real Madrid also refused to let Kylian Mbappe play.

Kylian Mbappe, the French superstar

Henry’s final squad may not be exactly what he wanted, but it’s still packed with talent. With the Olympics just around the corner, France will be hoping to make a deep run in the tournament.

The Olympic rings, symbolizing the unity of athletes from around the world