Report: France legend Henry to replace Jardim at AS Monaco
There may be a seismic change afoot in Ligue 1.
AS Monaco, who won the league title just two seasons ago, have made the decision to sack manager Leonardo Jardim with the club mired in the relegation zone and will replace him with former player Thierry Henry, according to ESPN’s Julien Laurens.
Henry, currently Roberto Martinez’s assistant with Belgium, has also recently been linked to the vacant role at English Championship side Aston Villa. However, he could be set to take up his first managerial post at the club where he began his professional playing career in the 1990s.
Monaco have just six points from their first nine games this term and have not won in 10 matches across all competitions since the campaign’s opening day.
Regional French outlet Nice-Matin claimed Jardim could get the boot before next weekend with European domestic football currently on an international break. Monaco’s sporting director, Michael Emenalo, could also be on the chopping block:
Former Chelsea and current Monaco Sporting Director Michael Emenalo is likely to be in danger of losing his job from AS Monaco too, after the french club have now gone 10 games without winning a single game.
— Mootaz Chehade (@MHChehade) October 9, 2018
Henry, a legend of both the France national team and the English Premier League, has been involved in coaching since joining the Belgium setup in August 2016. With his help, the Red Devils finished third at this past summer’s World Cup.
The 41-year-old was reportedly offered the chance to take over at Monaco’s Ligue 1 rival Bordeaux earlier this season after the dismissal of Gus Poyet, but turned down the chance. Last week, he was considered many bookmakers’ favorite to take over the vacant post at Villa, but Laurens reported that Henry snubbed the opportunity after holding talks with the English club.
It now appears there are just a few details to be agreed upon before Henry signs on at Stade Louis II. The World Cup winner watched the 2-1 Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid in September and is thought to have taken advice from France coach Didier Deschamps before deciding Monaco is the right move to make.
According to Laurens, Monaco’s staff had also considered Henry’s former Arsenal teammate Robert Pires, River Plate boss Marcelo Gallardo, and ex-France defender Laurent Blanc as candidates for the manager position.
