Thierry Henry has spoken about Juventus again, with a touch of nostalgia. Appearing on the French podcast Kampo, the former star, now a sports pundit, looked back at his brief spell in black and white and also touched on the difficulties the club has faced in recent years. It is a situation that does not leave him indifferent, Tuttosport says, considering the prestige and history of the club that welcomed him in January 1999.
The 196 Days
Henry’s adventure in Turin lasted just 196 days. He arrived from Monaco for around 30 billion lire, soon after winning the World Cup with France, but the young striker did not manage to find his place in Ancelotti’s system. In the manager’s 3-5-2 he was used as a full-flank wide player. The record was 20 appearances and three goals, before a move to Arsenal the following summer, where he built an extraordinary career.
“It Hurts Me to See Juve Like This”
On how he views the experience, Henry was emphatic. “Listen carefully, and I say it often: what happened at Juventus happened. Yes, fine, I left, I have explained it. It hurts me to see Juventus in the situation it is in now, but it is an extraordinary club.”
He was relaxed about the choice of shirt number 6, which he turned into a joke. “And what did you want me to do? It was half of 12, that’s why! In the end it was suitable, because I played as a full-flank wide player. That is where I started losing my hair, by the way!”
There were no regrets. “A failure, the Juventus experience? No, absolutely not, not for a moment would I say so! As I often say, whichever way you look at it, you learn.”
Why It Resonates
The comments arrive in a week of nostalgic voices, from Cuadrado’s apology interview to Del Piero’s remarks and Zidane’s wish to coach the club one day. Henry’s “it hurts me to see Juve like this” matches the tone of Vidal and Borriello, who also expressed pain at the present state of the club, though with less of a verdict on who is to blame.
His story also has an unintended parallel with Spalletti’s current tactical issues. Henry was a world-class forward who struggled when asked to play wide in a back-three system, much as Spalletti has found with some of his own attackers in the 3-5-2.
