Arsenal and France legend Thierry Henry has revealed he suffered with depression during his stellar playing career.

The 46-year-old, who won the World Cup with France and is Arsenal’s all-time top goalscorer, told the Diary of a CEO podcast that the coronavirus pandemic made him appreciate his mental health struggles as he cried “almost every day.”

Henry has linked that to his past and a search for approval from his father, who was often critical of his performances as a young player.

“Throughout my career, and since I was born, I must have been in depression,” said Henry.

“Did I know it? No. Did I do something about it? No. But I adapted to a certain way. That doesn’t mean I’m walking straight, but I’m walking. You’ve got to put one foot (forward) and another one, and walk. That’s what I’ve been told since I’m young.

“I never stopped walking, then maybe I would have realised. (But during) Covid – I stopped walking. I couldn’t. Then you start to realise.”

Henry was in charge of Canadian side Montral Impact when the pandemic hit, leaving him isolated and on the other side of the world from his family.

“I was in isolation in Montreal, and not being able to see my kids for a year was tough,” he added.

“Tears were coming alone. Why I don’t know, but maybe they were there for a very long time.

“Technically, it wasn’t me, it was the young me. (Crying for) everything he didn’t get, approval.”

Henry, who is now coach of France’s under-21 team, said his father’s desire was for him to be “an amazing football player” from the moment he first held his son.

“As a little boy it was always ‘you didn’t do that well’. So obviously when you hear that more often than not, that’s what’s going to stay,” said Henry.

“(It) did to a degree help the athlete….(it) didn’t help so much the human being”.

Source: AFP

Franz Beckenbauer, one of German soccer’s greatest players, who captained the team to World Cup victory in 1974 then won the tournament again as manager in 1990, has died at the age of 78, German news agency DPA reported on Monday.

Beckenbauer was a classy, dominant presence on the pitch for West Germany and Bayern Munich, with whom he won three successive European Cups, and had the nickname Der Kaiser, or “The Emperor”.

Source: Reuters

Carlo Ancelotti extended his contract with Real Madrid to June 2026 on Friday which would rule him out of becoming Brazil national coach.

“Real Madrid and Carlo Ancelotti have reached agreement on the extension of his contract till June 30, 2026,” Real said in a statement.

It had been reported in July this year that 64-year-old Ancelotti would become the first foreigner to coach Brazil in almost 60 years once he saw out his present Real contract next year.

The Brazil Football Confederation had named Fernando Diniz as the temporary manager before they anticipated Ancelotti taking control for the 2024 Copa America.

Ednaldo Rodriguez, the then president of the CBF, held months of negotiations with Ancelotti, who had previously stated the Real job would be his last in football.

However, it appeared one of the most glamorous and challenging jobs in football had brought a change of mind.

“We went after him not only due to his record, but also because he is a decent person,” Rodrigues told beIN Sports earlier this year.

“Those who have worked with him say that he is open, cultured, and he appreciates Brazilian football.”

However, under Diniz Brazil’s woes on the pitch have continued and the presently occupy the sixth and final regional qualifying spot for the 2026 World Cup.

Ancelotti is regarded as one of the greatest coaches of all time.

He has won the Champions League four times — twice with AC Milan and also on two occasions with Real Madrid.

He has won domestic league titles with Real and Milan, in England with Chelsea, in Germany with Bayern Munich and in France with Paris Saint-Germain.

Source: AFP

Holders Manchester City were handed a tie against FC Copenhagen in Monday’s draw for the Champions League last 16, while French champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) were paired with Spain’s Real Sociedad.

Pep Guardiola’s City, who are looking to retain the title they won in Istanbul last June, will be expected to comfortably get the better of the Danish side, who qualified from their group at the expense of Manchester United after beating the Red Devils 4-3 at home.

PSG, who have gone out in the last 16 in each of the last two seasons and in five of the last seven campaigns, were braced for a tough draw having come second in their group behind Borussia Dortmund.

They will therefore be relieved at being handed a tie against Real Sociedad, who topped their section above Inter Milan but are appearing in the Champions League last 16 for the first time since 2003/04, when they were knocked out by Lyon.

Inter, the Serie A leaders, were one of the teams to avoid after finishing second in their group and their meeting with Atletico will see Diego Simeone, the coach of the Spanish club, come up against a team with whom he spent two years as a player in the late 1990s.

Barcelona’s meeting with Italian champions Napoli is another standout tie, while Arsenal will be expected to get the better of Porto. Bayern Munich will be strong favourites against Lazio and record 14-time European champions Real Madrid will also be heavily fancied against RB Leipzig.

The remaining tie sees Dortmund come up against PSV Eindhoven, who are coached by former Borussia manager Peter Bosz and are through to the last 16 for the first time in eight years.

The first legs will take place in mid-February with the return matches in March. This season’s Champions League final will be staged at Wembley in London on June 1.

Source: AFP