WORLD CUP 2010:THIERRY HENRY broke his silence on France's catastrophic World Cup campaign last night by accusing his younger team-mates of lacking respect towards him and likening the current widespread criticism of Nicolas Anelka to the treatment he received after his handball against the Republic of Ireland.
Henry said he could relate to and sympathise with Anelka after being similarly vilified following last November’s play-off.
“I can tell you, from the experience with my handball, I was all alone and I know what it feels like,” the former France captain said in an interview on French television.
“I would have really liked him to be supported a bit.”
The French federation’s decision to send the Chelsea striker home after his verbal attack on coach Raymond Domenech was just one of several flashpoints during Les Bleus’ brief stay in South Africa.
The French public have been eagerly waiting to discover what really went on, and were left disappointed when Patrice Evra refused to give any details yesterday afternoon, despite promising on Tuesday he would reveal all upon his return home.
Henry was more forthcoming. Although he insisted there were “no clans and no fights”, the Barcelona forward was clearly unhappy with the behaviour of certain players.
Having been relegated to the bench for the tournament, the 32-year-old said he had “no credibility” and was made to feel like an isolated and unimportant figure.
“I could have been the big brother (to the younger player) but I no longer am,” France’s all-time record scorer explained.
“I felt cast aside. People no longer spoke to me in the same way as before.
“They used to talk to me more. I was at the centre. When you no longer have any credibility in the squad, it gets to the point when it becomes difficult.”
In a clear swipe at his younger colleagues, Henry added: “When I played at Monaco, even after winning the World Cup, I collected the balls and carried the bags. Now it’s pretty much me carrying them.”
Henry’s fourth and last World Cup has clearly left a bitter taste. While he refused to blame the team’s dire performances on the off-pitch difficulties, the former Arsenal striker admitted the breakdown of Anelka’s relationship with Domenech had created an “uneasy” environment.
“The first reason for the fiasco is that we didn’t play well,” he said. “We shouldn’t hide behind excuses. We weren’t good enough. Did Anelka’s comments trigger the slide? I don’t know. There was certainly an uneasy situation. But I don’t think we can say there was a clan.
“There are always affinities. But there was a lot of laughter. Everyone switched tables.”
When asked if Yoann Gourcuff had been bullied by the likes of Franck Ribery and Anelka, Henry instantly replied “no”, before admitting “I didn’t see everything that went on”.
He also rejected reports that Domenech had totally lost his authority, saying: “He was there. He was in charge. One player or another might disagree with him, but you have to respect the decisions.”
Henry refused to divulge details of his meeting with the President, Nicolas Sarkozy, on Thursday, saying only “it went well”.
He was much keener to defend his long-time friend Anelka, whom he claims was misquoted by L'Equipe, the newspaper that revealed Anelka's alleged tirade by publishing a series of shocking expletives on its front page.
“Those weren’t Nico’s words,” Henry insisted. “Unfortunately these things happen in a dressingroom.
“The difference here is that the words got out. I was in the dressingroom. I couldn’t hear what he was saying. He was complaining.
“What I can’t understand is how the person that said this to the journalist was able to hear what Nicolas said.”
