Offensive bonus, arbitration, transfer window… Thierry Henry’s five ideas for improving football

On the set of CBS, a channel for which he is a consultant, the former center forward of the Blues and Arsenal, Thierry Henry, suggested new rules which could, according to him, improve the quality of the game.

If the tone is light, Thierry Henry loves football too much to make fun of it. Disguised as King on the set of CBS for which he is one of the star consultants, the ex-legend of Arsenal unveiled Wednesday evening his ideas for improving the quality of football matches. A lover of the game, the 45-year-old former striker has suggested five rules or guidelines which he believes will improve the spectacle in stadiums.

Sanction anti-game

Thierry Henry was inspired by rugby to punish teams that practice anti-game. “When a team refuses to play, gaining time or putting the ball into touch, the referee can whistle a free kick 25 meters from the goal. You can put the ball where you want. It will force the team to play “, promises the 98 world champion with 51 goals in 123 caps.

Reward offensive teams

Thierry Henry likes attacking teams. He is therefore campaigning for a kind of offensive bonus, like in rugby. “An extra point if a team scores at least three goals in a match, regardless of the final result,” suggests Thierry Henry. The Frenchman cites Leicester as an example, which scored three times but lost 5-3 on Monday at Fulham.

A microphone and a debriefing with the press for the referees

For Thierry Henry, the referees must also participate more in the match. The former Gunner calls for more transparency and communication. For him, this means having a microphone during the match and a press briefing afterwards: “I want to hear what you say. If I wasn’t always polite, they weren’t always polite. either. Come and explain your mistakes or what you’re doing great. What pissed me off is when I didn’t have an explanation and they went into hiding.”

More caution in recruitment

This is not a rule but more a change of mindset in the organization chart of clubs. For Thierry Henry, there are too many casting errors in recruitment. Taking inspiration from San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich, who had spent 15 days in the Virgin Islands with Tim Duncan to ensure he would be the right fit for Spurs, Henry wants athletic directors or managers recruitment work more upstream before signing a player: “You don’t buy a house without visiting it. You go there in the morning, in the evening, you pay attention to the noise… I’ve seen too many players arrive somewhere without that no one knows if he was going to be able to adapt”, regrets the Frenchman.

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Temporary replacements in case of injuries

When a player is injured out of bounds and his team is playing 10 against 11, Thierry Henry suggests that a temporary replacement is possible. “It would give the doctor time to make the right decision while continuing to play,” observes Thierry Henry.