Arsenal and France football legend Thierry Henry retires

Tuesday, December 16, 2014 | 10:07 AM    

PARIS, France (AFP) – Former Arsenal and French striker Thierry Henry announced Tuesday he was retiring from football after a glittering two decades long career and will become a TV analyst for Sky Sports in England.

“After 20 years in the game I have decided to retire from professional football,” Henry said in a statement on his Facebook page.

Henry, 37, a world and European champion with France, and the scorer of 228 goals with Arsenal including 175 English Premier League goals for the club, finished his playing career at New York Red Bulls just days ago.

“It is now time for a different career path and I am pleased to say that I will be returning to London and joining Sky Sports,” he said.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said recently that Henry will “certainly” return to the club in some capacity in the future.

Henry, who has a daughter based in England, himself said in recent weeks that he wants to help Arsenal win the Champions League.

Henry first made his mark at French club Monaco before moving to Italian giants Juventus.

But the bulk of his career was spent at Arsenal under Wenger, who brought him to north London in 1999.

He was a crucial part of the 2003-2004 “Invincibles” team alongside fellow Frenchman Patrick Vieira, which went unbeaten as it stormed to the Premier League title.

In England, Henry won the Premier League twice and the FA Cup three times.

Henry left England for Barcelona in 2007, spending three years with the Spanish giants with whom he won the Champions League trophy in 2009.

He finished his career in the United States, playing for the New York Red Bulls in the MLS, but returned to Arsenal for four matches on loan from the Red Bulls in 2012, coming on as a substitute to score the winner against Leeds in the third round of the FA Cup.

He could not however prevent the Red Bulls being eliminated in the semi-finals of the playoffs this season.

Henry will also be remembered for a blatant handball in a 2009 World Cup qualifying playoff against the Republic of Ireland which led to the decisive goal for France and a ticket to the 2010 finals.

His last international game was during the 2010 World Cup when he came on as a second-half substitute in a 2-1 loss to hosts South Africa as France were dumped out of a tournament which had been a fiasco for the 1998 World Cup winners.

Capped 123 times for France, he scored a national record 51 goals during his international career which began with a 2-1 win over South Africa in October 1997.

Tributes poured in for Henry, who scored 411 goals during his career, with French professional football league president Frederic Thiriez describing him as a “legend”.

“The English erected a statue to him but in France he did not always get the recognition he deserved,” said Thiriez of the statute dedicated to Henry at the Emirates Stadium.

“With his extraordinary track record and his record of goals for the national side, Thierry Henry nevertheless will remain a legend, he was an exceptional striker. Simply the best.”

Former England international Gary Lineker, now a broadcaster, tweeted: “Congratulations to @ThierryHentry on a truly wonderful career. One of the great footballers of our time and a top bloke. Bonne chance.”

Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey also tweeted: “Congratulations on an outstanding career @ThierryHenry. Top player. Top guy. #Legend,” while England and Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge, added: “Happy retirement to my hero and idol @ThierryHenry. Wish you all the best in the next chapter.”

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Arsenal and France football legend Thierry Henry retires

World football powers France and Germany set up mouthwatering quarter-final clash

By Patrick R. Anderson

France versus Germany.

It’s a football match-up conspired by the gods of soccer. And  it takes place on Friday July 4 along with another delight, Brasil versus Colombia, in a quarter-final double-header for the ages.

In the penultimate set of round of 16 matches on Monday, France battled to defeat Nigeria 2-0 while Germany had to extend themselves into extra time to clip old nemesis Algeria 2-1 to book the dream quarter-final match up.

In the opening match at the Estadio Nacional Garrrincha in Brasilia, France had to fight to deny Africa’s Nigeria. The first half was taken by Nigeria on the scorecard, but France came into their own in the second half, although they couldn’t shut the door on the ‘super eagles.”

But sometimes your strength can be your weakness. Goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama has been brilliant for the Super Eagles from the group stage, until the 79th minute against France. A cross from the left side floated dangerously towards the edge of the six yard box. Enyeama left his line, but didn’t punch away cleanly. In fact, he helped  the ball towards the young French sensation Paul Pogba, who gladly headed into a empty goal.

France 1, Nigeria 0.

The game opened up even further after that, as Nigeria went for the equaliser. And with that, an indisciplined Nigerian defence left themselves exposed,  and Joseph Yobo under pressure turned the ball inadvertantly into his own goal in the 90th minute. France 2, Nigeria 0, and tickets were punched for opposite directions by the teams.

France now awaiting the result of the other round of 16 game, Germany versus Algeria, with the winner facing France.

The match played in Porto Alegre at the Estadio Beira-Rio ebbed to an fro in front of 43,063 people, as the teams battled to a 0-0 scoreline in regulation time. They each had opportunities to take the  lead and/or win outright, but this is football.

In extra-time, Germany took charge, and substitute Andre Schuerrle put Germany in the lead in the 92nd minute, and then the little midfield wizard Mesut Oezil crashed a left-footed rebound into the back of the net in the 120th minute. Algeria replied swiftly, through substitute Abdelmoumene Djabou. But it was too little, too late.

Germany marched into the quarter-final against France on Friday.

On Tuesday, July 1, the final set of round of 16 matches are scheduled. Argentina plays Switzerland while Belgium tackles the United States of America.

HITZ92FM has LIVE commentary starting with our pregame show at 10:30am, while TVJ will showcase the best pregame, halftime and postgame shows.

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World football powers France and Germany set up mouthwatering quarter-final clash

Mercedes sales still banned in France

Business

Friday, July 26, 2013

EARLIER this month, France banned the sale of many of Mercedes latest models, complaining that the car maker, whose parent is Daimler, used a polluting air-conditioning refrigerant that emits excessive greenhouse gases.Daimler has refused to stop using the air-conditioning refrigerant R134a prompting France to halt registrations of Mercedes A-class, B-class and SL cars built after June 12.However in a bout of fortune for Mercedes, a French court yesterday (Thursday) declared that the French environment ministry must now re-examine the government’s decision.R134a is a global warming agent more than 1400 times more potent than carbon dioxide. The French environment ministry has 10 days to decide whether to continue or abandon the ban on Mercedes models. If the French continue with the ban, it will affect two per cent of Mercedes global sales, equating to about 29,000 cars annually.Since January 1,2013, European Union official demand that car makers use a cleaner R1234yf refrigerant, which is less polluting than older products.But Daimler is sticking to R134a, an older coolant, as it claims studies have shown that the new gas catches fire more easily and puts cars at a greater risk of explosion in cases of a crash.In Germany, Daimler was given special permission to keep using the older gas. It is sticking to its guns, hoping that in the next few years, a safer version of the coolant will be available.Although the car giant points out France is the only country to ban Mercedes sales because of the objection to the continued use of R134a, nevertheless, last month the European Commission threatened sanctions against car makers using the refrigerant.A Daimler spokesman said: We welcome the positive decision of the French court, which clearly rejected the French registration authority (decision) to prevent the registration of our cars.”A car is being assembled in the manufacturing plant of Mercedes-Benz Manufacturing Hungary. (PHOTO: AP)

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Mercedes sales still banned in France