Club CF Montreal announced on Thursday that Thierry Henry will leave the post of head coach for family reasons.
“It is with great regret that I have decided to make this decision,” Thierry Henry said in a statement released by the MLS club.
“Last year has been extremely difficult for me personally. Due to the global pandemic, I was unable to see my children. Unfortunately, due to ongoing restrictions and the fact that we will have to move back to the States United for several months, it will be no different.
“Separation is too much of a tension for me and my children. So it is with great sadness that I have to make the decision to return to London and leave CF Montreal. I want to thank the fans, the players and all the staff of this club who have made me feel so welcome.
“I would also like to thank Kevin Gilmore, Olivier Renard and of course Joey and the whole Saputo family for giving me this wonderful opportunity. We had an impossible year together and getting to the playoffs with this group of people is an experience. I will never forget. Thank you all for being on this journey and I wish you all the success for the future, “said the former French striker.
“Thierry’s departure is unfortunate and premature because it was very promising, but he informed me of his desire to return with his family because the situation was and continues to be very difficult for him and his family,” the director said. CF Montréal sportsman, Olivier Renard.
“I want to thank him, first on a human level because last year he set an example to the players by being away from his family, but also on a sporting level and for what we have built together since his arrival. We wanted to raise this club and we are on the right track. The process of finding a new head coach is already underway and I will look for someone who is aligned with the philosophy we have implemented. “
Thierry Henry was named head coach on November 14, 2019. In 2020, he led the team to the MLS playoffs for the first time since the 2016 season after a record of eight wins, 13 losses and two draws in a regular season marked by the pandemic that includes only three games at Stade Saputo. Under his leadership, the team had also reached the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League.