ACTUALITE |
19.07.2002
Henry pledges future to Arsenal after World Cup debacle
Henry, who only has two years left on his contract, was quoted as saying he wants to still be an Arsenal player when the English champions move into a new stadium in 2006.
He also urged Arsene Wenger`s side to launch a major assault on the Champions League as he comes to terms with a World Cup campaign that saw France knocked out in the first round.
"I am so happy at Arsenal," he told the French sport daily L`Equipe. "I cannot say it enough -- I have found my club. I definitely want to play at the new stadium.
"What we did last season was unbelievable...we won the (English premier league and FA Cup) double and we deserved it. Now the big thing is to win the Champions League.
"The problem I had at the World Cup was the position in which I was asked to play. In three years with France and also for Arsenal I have played as a central striker."
Henry, 24, was asked by France coach Roger Lemerre to play wide on the left as the defending world champions failed to score in each of their three group games at the finals in South Korea and Japan.
SENT OFF
Senegal inflicted on France a sensational 1-0 defeat in the opening game on May 31, before Henry`s personal misery was completed.
He was sent off during their second match, a 0-0 draw with Uruguay, and was suspended for the 2-0 defeat to Denmark.
Henry, who was nursing a knee injury from the end of the 2001-02 English season, said the tournament got off to the worst possible start when Lemerre said in a media interview that he feared for Henry`s fitness.
"When Lemerre said that if I did not play (in a warm-up match) against (South) Korea he would question my presence in the World Cup, it was my family who called me from France to tell me," Henry said.
"Nobody (in the France camp) spoke to me about it."
He added: "We can talk about a lot of things that happened out there but the fact is we did not play well.
"For me, the World Cup started too early...players still felt tired after the season with their clubs.
"Sometimes, your body tells you you are not a robot."
France`s key midfield playmaker Zinedine Zidane suffered a thigh injury in the warm-up game with South Korea and missed the opening two games.
Henry also dismissed suggestions that France`s poor performances were in some way linked to their off-field sponsorship or commercial activities.
|
|
Hits: 1 | Source:Yahoo | |
|
|
|
|
| |