Henry quits Arsenal over Wenger’s TV ultimatum

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has left the club’s coaching staff after refusing to give up his role as a TV pundit, prompting claims that Arsene Wenger did not want his former star player undermining him during the final year of his contract.

Henry “was offered a job coaching Arsenal’s Under-18s by head of the academy Andries Jonker, only to be personally overruled by Wenger”, reports Matt Law of the Daily Telegraph.

The manager insisted the role be full time and could not be combined with the Frenchman’s work as a Sky Sports pundit, to which he will return next season, after a stint with the BBC during Euro 2016, adds the paper.

Henry’s offers to work with the under-18s for free or take up a role with the club’s strikers were both rejected.

“While senior figures inside the Emirates were happy for Henry to stay and continue his education at Arsenal, a final decision was left down to Wenger,” adds the Telegraph. “Sources around Arsenal believe Wenger does not want anybody at the club’s London Colney training ground who may be prepared to challenge him or be seen as a possible threat to his position in the future.”

Read also: Arsenal rejects Juventus’s £34m bid for Sanchez

Henry angered Wenger with comments about Olivier Giroud and the Arsenal fans last season, reports the Daily Mirror, which adds that his exit will “prove unpopular with fans who have already seen former captains Mikel Arteta and Patrick Vieira move to Manchester City to take up coaching roles”.

The paper suggests Henry could follow their lead – and that of other stars including Dennis Bergkamp and Marc Overmars – by offering his services to a different club and continue working for his coaching badges.

However, the London Evening Standard says the split is “amicable” and that Henry will still be welcome to attend training sessions as he continues his coaching career.

“Henry is believed to earn in the region of £4million-a-year at Sky but Wenger was concerned at the obvious issues raised by the club’s all-time record goalscorer criticising Arsenal players in public only to then subsequently mix with them at their London Colney training base,” adds the paper.

It also reports that the role initially offered to Henry will now be handed to another former Arsenal legend, Tony Adams.

“Henry’s departure has raised question marks about Wenger’s willingness to work with some of his former stars but Adams’ arrival combined with Freddie Ljungberg’s return in a coaching capacity with the Under 15s and Under 16s is an extension of his record in giving former players a chance to extend their careers,” says the Standard.

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