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France fell just short in the gold medal match after a thrilling final against Spain, who won 5-3 at the Parc des Princes on 9 August. Henry’s side had come from 3-1 down to force extra time but were edged out in their first defeat of the calendar year.
Although they missed out on gold, Henry leaves having further inspired a generation aiming to emulate his golden footsteps in the game.
Les Bleus recorded a perfect group stage – three games, three wins and zero goals conceded – before earning revenge over Argentina in a 1-0 win in the quarter-final.
France then fell behind in the semi-final against Egypt, before a late equaliser by Jean-Philippe Mateta brought it to extra time where the French triumphed 3-1 en route to Olympic silver.
In a statement, the president of the French Football Federation (FFF) Philippe Diallo said: “On behalf of the FFF, I would like to thank Thierry Henry for all the work he has accomplished at the head of the under-23 and Olympic teams.
“We obviously regret this decision because Thierry Henry was able to achieve the goals that had been set for him by winning a silver medal at the Paris Olympics, 40 years after the Olympic medal in Los Angeles.
“Having followed him throughout this campaign, I was able to discover his great professionalism, his rigour and his love of the France jersey. We wish him good luck for the rest of his career.”
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