Even Thierry Henry can be impressed. Questioned this Sunday morning as part of a sequence broadcast by Téléfoot, the man with 123 caps for the Blues did not hesitate to designate Juninho as the best free kick taker in history. “Juninho, we stop, it’s over. Roberto Carlos? Different,” said the current Espoirs coach. “If I hit like Juninho, I hurt myself. If I want to be like him, I have to go back to my childhood to put on orthopedic shoes. »
“The greatest free kick taker? Juninho. We stop, it’s over”
When Thierry Henry talks about Juninho, and tells an anecdote from a free kick session with him, in New York (@BarniaudSeb) pic.twitter.com/kyImKGLzXm
— Téléfoot (@telefoot_TF1) November 5, 2023
Never stingy with anecdotes, Henry remembered a free-kick session shared with the former Lyon midfielder on the New York Red Bulls side, where the two men crossed paths in 2012/2013: “At first, I thought that he wasn’t floating the ball on purpose,” reveals the former Gunner, referring to Juninho’s striking technique. “One time at training, I told him, ‘Juni, you’re not doing it on purpose.’ He showed me. First corner, second corner, the ball floated. I said sorry! If you can change the trajectory of the ball and make it float where you want… Normally you press a button. With Juninho, a free kick was a penalty,” concluded the former Arsenal striker admiringly.
Thierry Henry will reveal his list for the next Bleuets gathering on Thursday, November 9. At the top of their qualifying group for Euro 2025, the Espoirs will challenge Austria on Friday November 17 before facing South Korea in a friendly match on Monday November 20.
