Henry Breaking Into U.S. Sports Culture Scene

By JACK BELL

Published: October 17, 2007

Few soccer players in the world have elicited such rapt devotion as the lissome French striker Thierry Henry. He was surrounded by fans last season at Madison Square Garden when he attended a National Basketball Association game between the Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs, for whom his friend Tony Parker plays (Henry was the best man at Parker’s wedding to the actress Eva Longoria)."I think everybody knows I love America," Henry said late last week in a telephone interview from Clairefontaine, France, where he was preparing for this week’s 2008 European Championship qualifying matches with the French national team.

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Felice Calabro/Associated Press

"I always say that one day I can play over there. I would love to. But it’s still early. Don’t get me wrong, I just love the U.S. I don’t know why,” Henry said. "I love the way you live. I love American sports. For me, it’s a dream to go to training and then see a game of football, basketball, whatever game. For me, New York is the best city in the world."

A couple of global companies are seeking to exploit Henry’s smart and balanced personality and introduce him to a wider American audience.

Henry appears with Roger Federer and Tiger Woods in advertisements for Gillette. Last week, he was unveiled as a global ambassador for the Tommy Hilfiger Group. The proceeds from sales of a limited edition apparel collection will be donated to Henry’s One 4 All Foundation. Henry also launched the Stand Up Speak Up campaign to raise money to fight racism in soccer.

"It is important to me," he said. "I grew up in a bad neighborhood, there wasn’t the best school, but I was happy. But I do think that kids need to be in an environment where they can hope, they need to dream. What I’m trying to do through the foundation is to improve facilities and to encourage their education."

Henry grew up in the town of Les Ulis, a southwestern suburb of Paris. His father is from Guadeloupe and his mother from Martinique, and Henry is no stranger to racism, on and off the field.

"We still have the same problem everywhere — Spain, Italy other countries," Henry said.

Henry was part of the neo-French invasion of England that saw Arsenal, under Coach Arsène Wenger, win the English Premier League and Football Association Cup titles in 2001-2 as Henry scored 32 goals in all competitions. He is Arsenal’s all-time leading scorer with 226 goals in all competitions. In the 2003-4 season, Henry and Arsenal raced undefeated through the Premier League season with 26 wins and 12 ties.

Last June, Henry moved to Barcelona in a $32 million transfer deal and signed a four-year contract that will pay more than $9 million a year.

In a letter to The Sun newspaper, Henry said his decision to leave Arsenal for Barcelona was because one of the team’s directors, David Dein, had sold his interest and left the club (Dein’s son, Darren, is Henry’s agent) and because Wenger, his long-time coach and mentor, would not commit long-term to the club.

In Barcelona, Henry said he has found a new, enervating environment among the club’s galaxy of stars that includes Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto’o, Lilian Thuram and Deco. After a groin injury slowed his start to the Spanish league season, Henry settled into the starting 11 at the Nou Camp.

"London is a big town, but on another side, Barcelona is a cosmopolitan town," he said. "What is different in football is that both teams play attractive styles, I was still O.K. with that. Arsenal and Barcelona have the same approach to the game.

"One thing that is different is that at training sessions in Barcelona we have everyone — fans, journalists. When we travel it’s also a bit, if I can say, a little bit too much. It’s like the world stops when Barcelona travels. When I was at Arsenal this was all private. In Barcelona, the fans need to see you and you must understand that you play for a country. Even though Barcelona is in Spain, it is Catalonia, and you have to know that you are playing for their country."

Asked about the other differences between the two teams and two leagues, Henry said: "In Barcelona, sometimes we kickoff at 10 p.m. If you tried that in London the fans will kill you. It is a different lifestyle, a different game. In Barcelona, whether you are winning or losing, the fans want to see a great game. As long as they see a great game they are happy. It’s weird to say, I know. Sometimes, when you’re winning in Barcelona but not playing well, the fans will let you know. They want to see a game of football."

During the Spanish league’s winter break, Henry said he plans to travel to Los Angeles to catch the Spurs play the Clippers and catch some Lakers games.

"When I go to see a game, it is never boring," he said. " I love the speed, everything, especially more now that I have friends in the N.B.A.”

Was he surprised he was recognized at the Garden last year?

"I would love to say yeah, yeah, yeah, I was recognized, it is great," he said. "But what really surprised me was when I saw Spike Lee wearing my Arsenal jersey. It blew me away, to be honest. I didn’t know he was into soccer, but I knew he was a Knicks fan.”