Thierry Henry presented to the media on Tuesday morning
The start of the 2020 season came early for the Montreal Impact: after announcing the hiring of Thierry Henry last Thursday, the new head coach was presented to the media Monday morning, where he, alongside sporting director Olivier Renard and president and CEO Kevin Gilmore, answered questions and met supporters in attendance.
Here are some of the highlights from this morning’s presser, which you can watch in full here:
Head coach Thierry Henry
“Now I’m here and I’m the coach of the Montreal Impact. Or you win, or you learn, and I learned a lot there. The only mistake that you can make is not learning but have you to return and confront it. It was a great learning process, and I’m very positive for what’s to come with this club.”
“It’s my passion, it’s my life. It’s a new start for us, and we must face it head on. We will need to work hard and be patient, but we know what we want to do.”
“I know I have a past, but that’s it, it’s behind me. I’m a normal person and as a coach, it’s only the beginning. It isn’t my history, but the club’s that is more important.”
“You have to start somewhere. That’s how you acquire experience. I had a great experience with Belgium and with Monaco, where I learned a lot about myself. It’s about fighting. This isn’t just my story, but the story of everyone in life. Everyone falls, but it’s about how you get up.”
“I often talk about the team. When the team is there, individualities shine. The team comes before everything, it’s the most important aspect. It’s important for us to be excited, for us to want to conquer.”
“It’s pretty simple: if you take the best of Europe and the best part of the continent here, you arrive in Montreal. It’s the perfect bridge. The city is so diverse, people come from everywhere, but first and foremost they’re from Montreal. It’s an outstanding city.”
Sporting director Olivier Renard
“There were a few criteria: someone who wanted to be here, who loved the city, and who had an attacking style. He started at the Arsenal Academy, and that was an important factor for me, the fact that he’s worked with young players. It was enough for me to see that he was the ideal candidate.”
President Kevin Gilmore
“People are excited, because we’re trying to instill a new mentality in our offices and take our place in the market. Hiring someone like Thierry gives confidence to the entire club.”
