How Thierry Henry and his gang of “madmen” reminded us that we could get excited about football at the Olympic Games

Beaten in the final by Spain on Friday, the players of the French men’s football team nevertheless had a pleasant and even successful tournament.

“The last time I got this many rejections was in middle school.”. History will remember that it all began with this bitter sentence from Thierry Henry on June 3, the day his pre-list of 25 players for Paris 2024 was unveiled. Two months and six days after this media outing, the former scorer of the Blues and his successors came within a hair’s breadth of climbing to Olympus. If the outcome was not completely improbable, the usual coach of the Espoirs achieved a small feat.

In a very short time, and with less resources than expected (without Kylian Mbappé, Antoine Griezmann and the eligible young internationals who had already played in the Euro this summer), he guided his group of kids to second place on an Olympic podium, winning the third French medal in history in football tournaments (after gold in 1984 and silver in 1900). Even before experiencing the pain of the extra-time defeat against Spain (5-3), the latter saw the tricolor adventure as a success.

“Whatever happens it is a success, whatever happens the flag will be raised”he insisted at a press conference the day before. Despite the defeated faces of most of his players as they received their medals, Henry did not change his line. “We are not Olympic champions but we can’t say anything to this team that fought until the end. I still have trouble realizing it, because it has only just ended, but it remains a beautiful story.”he reacted hot on the microphone of France Télévisions. Three years after the complete failure of Tokyo and the elimination in the first round of the team led by André-Pierre Gignac, it is a completely different world.

Football is not just about track records. The emotions generated by what happens on the pitch are what makes major international competitions so exciting. The French Olympic team cannot be blamed for failing in this area. In the knockout phase, for its last three matches of the tournament, it simply got in tune with Paris 2024 and the popular fervour surrounding French athletes.

In Bordeaux, in a stadium soon to be orphaned by the Girondins de Bordeaux, the Blues took a tasty revenge against their best Argentinian enemies, in an atmosphere that we did not expect to be so electric. In Lyon, against Egypt, she managed to save herself in extra time after more than an hour of outrageous domination. Even in the final, she probably played one of the craziest matches in French football in the 21st century by rekindling the flame of hope when she seemed lost because she was trailing 3-1 with 10 minutes left in regulation time.

The tour of young Olympic players across France has always been sold out, from Marseille to Lyon, via Nice and Bordeaux. A less initiated audience than those who vibrate to the rhythm of Ligue 1 has either reconnected with the round ball, or experienced their first football emotions. Families and children were in the majority in the stands, sports fans having preferred to turn to other sports, considered “more Olympic”, to live the Paris 2024 experience.

The general public discovered new faces, such as the tightrope artist Michael Olise, and was able to identify a little more with these players who do not monopolize as much media attention as the stars of the A team, starting with Kylian Mbappé. In its communication, the group seemed more natural and less locked down than that of its illustrious elders. The carefree attitude of Enzo Millot in the mixed zone after France-Argentina, almost proud to have challenged his opponents before the fight while his coach reframed him a few meters further on camera, brought a breath of fresh air.

Far from the heavy context of the Euro, parasitized by the tension linked to the legislative elections, a great lightness accompanied the steps of Thierry Henry and his band of “crazy”after the nickname he amused himself by giving them. “I understand why he calls us that. It’s enough for three or four players to be together and it starts to get funny.”said Alexandre Lacazette the day before the final, the big brother and captain of the team at the age of 33.

“They teach me to let go of certain things that I would not have accepted in another era.”admitted a Henry almost without a filter and filled with emotion during this ephemeral adventure. The confession comes from a man who won almost everything during his playing career and whose stubbornness in his playing principles had played a role in the end of his adventure as coach of Monaco (2018-2019). Enough to fuel a little more the desire to see him start a new adventure in a club.