FA Cup

130px
Founded	1871
Region	England
Number of teams	763 (2011–12)
Current champions	Chelsea (7th title)
Most successful club	Manchester United (11 titles)
Television broadcasters	ITV ESPN
Website	FA Cup
2011–12 FA Cup

The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world.^[1] The "FA Cup" is run by and named after the Football Association and usually refers to the English men's tournament, although a women's tournament is also held. Its current sponsored name is the FA Cup with Budweiser.^[2]

The FA Cup was first held in 1871–72. Entry is open to all teams who compete in the Premier League, the Football League and in steps one to five of the FA National League System, as well as selected teams in step 6.^[3] This means that clubs of all standards compete, from the largest clubs in England and Wales down to amateur village teams. The tournament has become known for the possibility for "minnows" from the lower divisions to become "giant-killers" by eliminating top clubs from the tournament and even theoretically winning the Cup, although lower division teams rarely progress beyond the early stages. The qualification rounds and a system of byes mean that the very smallest and very biggest teams almost never meet.

The holders of the FA Cup are Chelsea, who defeated Liverpool 2–1 in the 2012 final for their fourth triumph in six years and seventh overall.

Format[link]

The competition is a knockout tournament with pairings for each round drawn at random. There are no seeds and the draw for each round is not made until after the scheduled dates for the previous round. The draw also determines which teams will play at home.

Each tie is played as a single leg. If a match is drawn, there is a replay, usually at the ground of the team who were away for the first game. Drawn replays are now settled with extra time and penalty shootouts, though until the 1990s further replays would be played until one team was victorious. Some ties took as many as six matches to settle; in their 1975 campaign, Fulham played a total of 12 games over six rounds, which remains the most games played by a team to reach a final.^[4] Replays were traditionally played three or four days after the original game, but from 1991–92 they were staged at least 10 days later on police advice. This led to penalty shoot-outs being introduced. Replays are no longer held for the semi-finals or final.

There are a total of 14 rounds in the competition — six qualifying rounds, followed by six further rounds (the "proper" rounds), semi-finals, and the final. The competition begins in August with the Extra Preliminary Round, followed by the Preliminary Round and First Qualifying Round, which are contested by the lowest-ranked clubs. Clubs playing in the Conference North and Conference South are given exemption to the Second Qualifying Round, and Conference National teams are given exemption to the Fourth Qualifying Round. The 32 winners from that round join the 48 clubs from League One and League Two in the First Round (often called the First Round Proper). Finally, teams from the Premier League and Football League Championship enter at the Third Round Proper, at which point there are 64 teams remaining in the competition. The Sixth Round Proper is the quarter-final stage, at which point eight teams remain.

The qualifying rounds are regionalised to reduce the travel costs for smaller non-league sides. The First and Second Rounds were also previously split into Northern and Southern sections, but this practice was ended after the 1997–98 competition.

The FA Cup has a set pattern for when each round is played. Normally the First Round is played in mid-November, with the Second Round on one of the first two Saturdays in December. The third round is played on the first weekend in January, with the Fourth Round later in the month and Fifth Round in mid-February. The Sixth Round (or quarter-finals) traditionally occurs in early or mid March, with the semi-finals a month later. The final is normally held the Saturday after the Premier League season finishes in May. The only seasons in recent times when this pattern was not followed were 1999–2000, when most rounds were played a few weeks earlier than normal as an experiment, and 2010–2011 when the FA Cup Final was played before the Premier League season had finished, in order to allow the stadium to be ready for the UEFA Champions League final.^[5]

As well as being presented with the trophy, the winning team also qualifies for the UEFA Europa League (formerly named the UEFA Cup), even if being relegated. In the event the FA Cup winners are qualified for the UEFA Champions League the FA Cup runners-up will qualify, but in the place reserved for the lowest ranking Barclays Premier League representative. The place with direct access to the Group Stage will be given to the club that finishes in the highest position in the Barclays Premier League of the clubs qualifying for the UEFA Europa League. ^[6] The FA Cup winners also qualify for the single-match FA Community Shield against the Premier League Champions.

The draw[link]

The draw for each of the "proper" rounds is not seeded and is broadcast live on television, usually taking place at the conclusion of live coverage of one of the games of the previous round. No teams are seeded in the qualifying round draws either, but the teams are grouped geographically in the qualifying rounds to reduce travel costs. Public interest is particularly high during the draw for the third round, which is where the top-ranked teams are added to the draw. Traditionally, the draw has been conducted by means of balls drawn from a purple velvet bag, however in recent years in order to comply with FIFA regulations^{[citation needed]} the balls have been drawn from a clear perspex container^{[citation needed]} . To keep with tradition, however, the presenters are shown emptying the balls from the old velvet bag into the perspex container before the draw.

Eligible teams[link]

All clubs in the Premier League and Football League are automatically eligible, and clubs in the next six levels of the English football league system are also eligible provided they have played in either the FA Cup, FA Trophy or FA Vase competitions in the previous season. Newly formed clubs that start playing in a high league, such as F.C. United of Manchester and MK Dons, may not therefore play in the FA Cup in their first season. All clubs entering the competition must also have a suitable stadium. There are also other factors and measures in place for lower clubs to enter the competition. It is very rare for top clubs to miss the competition, although it can happen in exceptional circumstances. Manchester United withdrew from the 1999–2000 competition due to their participation in the FIFA Club World Championship, a move highly controversial at the time.^[7][8]

Welsh sides that play in English leagues are eligible, although since the creation of the League of Wales there are only six clubs remaining: Cardiff City (the only non-English team to win the tournament, in 1927), Swansea City, Wrexham, Merthyr Town, Newport County and Colwyn Bay. In the early years other teams from Wales, Ireland and Scotland also took part in the competition, with Glasgow side Queen's Park losing the final to Blackburn Rovers in 1884 and 1885 before being barred from entering by the Scottish Football Association.

The number of entrants has increased greatly in recent years. In the 2004–05 season, 660 clubs entered the competition, beating the long-standing record of 656 from the 1921–22 season. In 2005–06 this increased to 674 entrants, in 2006–07 to 687, in 2007–08 to 731 clubs, and for the 2008–09 and 2009–10 competitions it reached 762.^[9] By comparison, the other major English domestic cup, the League Cup, involves only the 92 members of the Premier League and Football League.

Venues[link]

Matches in the FA Cup are usually played at the home ground of one of the two teams. The team who plays at home is decided when the matches are drawn. There is no seeding system in place within rounds other than when teams enter the competition, therefore the home team is simply the first team drawn out for each fixture. Occasionally games may have to be moved to other grounds due to other events taking place, security reasons or a ground not being suitable to host popular teams. In the event of a draw, the replay is played at the ground of the team who originally played away from home, with a penalty shootout deciding the winner if the replay game also ends in a tie.

In the days when multiple replays were possible, the second replay (and any further replays) were played at neutral grounds. The clubs involved could alternatively agree to toss for home advantage in the second replay.

Traditionally, the FA Cup Final was played at London's Wembley Stadium. Early finals were played in other locations and, due to extensive redevelopment of Wembley, finals between 2001 and 2006 were played at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. The final returned to Wembley in May 2007.^[10] Early finals venues include Kennington Oval, in 1872 and 1874–92, the Racecourse Ground, Derby in 1886, Fallowfield Stadium, Manchester in 1893, Goodison Park in 1894, Burnden Park for the 1901 replay, Bramall Lane in 1912, the Crystal Palace Park, 1895–1914, Stamford Bridge 1920–22, and Lillie Bridge, Fulham, London in 1873. In more recent times the memorable 1970 final replay between Leeds and Chelsea was held at Old Trafford in Manchester. This was the only time between 1923 and 2000 that the FA Cup final or the FA Cup Final replay was held at a stadium other than Wembley.

The semi-finals were traditionally contested at high-capacity neutral venues; usually the home grounds of teams not involved in that semi-final. Venues used since 1990 include Manchester City's now demolished Maine Road stadium, Manchester United's Old Trafford Stadium, Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium, Arsenal's former home, Highbury (since redeveloped as housing), London's Wembley Stadium, the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and Aston Villa's Villa Park in Birmingham. Villa Park is the most used stadium, with 55 semi-finals. The 1991 semi-final between Arsenal and Tottenham was the first to be played at Wembley, as were both 1993, 1994 and 2000 semi-finals. In 2005, both were held at the Millennium Stadium. The decision to hold the semi-finals at the same location as the final can be controversial amongst fans^[11] However, starting with the 2008 cup, all semi-finals are played at Wembley; the stadium was not ready for the 2007 semi-finals. For a list of semi-final results and the venues used, see FA Cup Semi-finals.

Trophies[link]

The second FA Cup trophy, used between 1896 and 1910.

At the end of the final, the winning team is presented with a trophy, also known as the "FA Cup", which they hold until the following year's final. Traditionally, at Wembley finals, the presentation is made at the Royal Box, with players, led by the captain, mounting a staircase to a gangway in front of the box and returning by a second staircase on the other side of the box. At Cardiff the presentation was made on a podium on the pitch.

The cup is decorated with ribbons in the colours of the winning team; a common quiz question asks, "What is always taken to the Cup Final, but never used?" (the answer is "the losing team's ribbons"). However this is not entirely true, as during the game the cup actually has both teams' sets of ribbons attached and the runners-up ribbons are removed before the presentation. Individual members of the teams playing in the final are presented with winners' and runners'-up medals. The present FA Cup trophy is the fourth.

The first, the 'little tin idol', was used from the inception of the Cup in 1871–72 until it was stolen from a Birmingham shoe shop window belonging to William Shillcock while held by Aston Villa on 11 September 1895, and was never seen again. The FA fined Villa £25 to pay for a replacement. Almost 60 years later, the thief admitted that the cup had been melted down to make counterfeit half-crown coins.^[12]

The second trophy was a replica of the first, and was last used in 1910 before being presented to the FA's long-serving president Lord Kinnaird. It was sold at Christie's on 19 May 2005 for £420,000 (£478,400 including auction fees and taxes) to David Gold, the then joint chairman of Birmingham City. David Gold has loaned this trophy to the National Football Museum which is housed in Preston North End's Deepdale Stadium and it is on permanent display to the public.

The current FA trophy, used since 1911

A new, larger, trophy was bought by the FA in 1911 designed and manufactured by Fattorini's of Bradford and won by Bradford City in its first outing, the only time a team from Bradford has reached the final. This trophy still exists but is now too fragile to be used, so an exact replica was made by Toye, Kenning and Spencer^[13] and has been in use since the 1992 final. A "backup" trophy was made alongside the existing trophy in 1992, but it has not been used so far, and will only be used if the current trophy is lost, damaged or destroyed. An otherwise identical, but smaller replica was also made by Fattorini, the North Wales Coast FA Cup trophy, and is contested annually by members of that regional Association.

Though the FA Cup is the oldest domestic football competition in the world, its trophy is not the oldest; that title is claimed by the Youdan Cup. The oldest national trophy is the Scottish Cup.

In 1914 Burnley F.C. won the cup and received unique medals incorrectly struck as "English Cup Winners". One is displayed at Turf Moor, within the 1914 collection.

Sponsorship[link]

Since the start of the 1994–95 season, the FA Cup has been sponsored. However, to protect the identity of the famous competition, the name has never changed from 'The FA Cup', unlike sponsorship deals for the League Cup. Sponsorship deals run for four years, though – as in the case of E.ON – one-year extensions may be agreed.

Below is a list of sponsors and the sponsored name of the competition:

From August 2006 to 2014, Umbro will supply match balls for all FA Cup matches.^{[citation needed]}

Giant-killers[link]

Aside from the non-top-flight winners mentioned below, the FA Cup has a long tradition of lower-ranked teams becoming "giant-killers" by defeating opponents from a higher division.^[19] While it is common for this to happen (one statistical analysis based on four years of results showed that the probability of at least one team beating one from a higher division in a given year was 99.85%, dropping to 48.8% for a two-division gap and 39.28% for a three-division gap^[20]), it is considered particularly newsworthy when the "victim" is one of the top Premier League teams, or where the giant-killer is from outside the League divisions. The most recent example of a non-league team beating top-flight opposition was Sutton United's victory over Coventry City in 1988–89. The last time a non-league side beat top-flight opposition away from home was Altrincham's victory over Birmingham City at St. Andrew's in 1985–86. Within the football league one of the most notable results was Wrexham's victory over Arsenal in 1992. In the previous season, Wrexham had finished 92nd (last) in the football league, Arsenal were 1st.

Giant-killings of various scales happen every year: almost every club in the League Pyramid has a fondly remembered "giant-killing" act in its history and some small clubs have, whether by accident or design, gained a reputation for being "cup specialists" after two or more such feats within a few years.^[20] Victories by non-league sides over league opposition are referred to as 'league scalps'^{[citation needed]}. Overall, Yeovil Town holds the record with 20 league scalps won before the club entered the league.^[21] The record for a club which has never entered the league is held by Altrincham, with 16 league scalps.

Linked to this giant-killing is the progression of teams beyond what would normally be expected. A few teams have won the FA Cup while outside of the top division, though no team from the third level of the football league has progressed to the final. For non-league teams, reaching the third round – where all top flight sides now enter – is considered a major achievement. During the 2008-09 FA Cup, a record nine teams achieved this feat,^[22] and while Tottenham Hotspur won the 1901 FA Cup as a Southern League club, no non-league team has since progressed past the fifth round, this occurring most recently to Crawley Town F.C. in 2011.^[23] Chasetown are the lowest ranked team to play in the third round, playing eventual runners-up Cardiff City in the 2007–08 competition. The game took place on 5 January 2008 whilst Chasetown were playing in the Southern League Division One Midlands, the eighth tier of the English football pyramid.^[24]

Notable events in the FA Cup[link]

FA Cup winners and finalists[link]

Three clubs have won consecutive FA Cups on more than one occasion: Wanderers (1872, 1873 and 1876, 1877, 1878), Blackburn Rovers (1884, 1885, 1886 and 1890, 1891), and Tottenham Hotspur (1961, 1962 and 1981, 1982).

Seven clubs have won the FA Cup as part of a League and Cup double, namely Preston North End (1889), Aston Villa (1897), Tottenham Hotspur (1961), Arsenal (1971, 1998, 2002), Liverpool (1986), Manchester United (1994, 1996, 1999) and Chelsea (2010). Arsenal and Manchester United share the record of three doubles. Arsenal have won a double in each of three separate decades (1970s, 1990s, 2000s). Manchester United's three doubles in the 1990s highlights their dominance of English football at the time.

In 1993, Arsenal became the first side to win both the FA Cup and League Cup in the same season, beating Sheffield Wednesday 2–1, in both finals. Liverpool repeated this feat in 2001, as did Chelsea in 2007. In 2012, Chelsea accomplished a different cup double consisting of the FA Cup and the 2012 Champions League.

In 1998–99, Manchester United added the 1999 Champions League crown to their league and cup double, an accomplishment known as The European treble. Two years later, in 2000–01, Liverpool won the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup to complete a cup treble.

Portsmouth have the unusual accolade of holding the FA Cup for the longest unbroken period of time; having won the Cup in 1939, the next final was not contested until 1946, due to the outbreak of the Second World War.

The FA Cup has only been won by a non-English team once. Cardiff City achieved this in 1927 when they beat Arsenal in the final at Wembley. They had previously made it to the final only to lose to Sheffield United in 1925, and lost another final to Portsmouth in 2008. Cardiff City also is the only team, which were winners in 1927 of both the FA Cup, their only win, and the Welsh Cup, which they now won for the 5th time.

Winners from outside the top flight[link]

Since the foundation of the Football League, Tottenham Hotspur in 1901 have been the only non-league winners of the FA Cup. They were then playing in the Southern League and were only elected to the Football League in 1908. At that time the Football League consisted of only two 18-team divisions.

In the history of the FA Cup, only eight teams who were playing outside the top level of English football have gone on to win the competition, the most recent being West Ham United, who beat Arsenal in 1980. Excluding Tottenham in 1901, these clubs were all playing in the old Second Division, no other Third Division or lower side having reached the final.

One of the most famous upsets was when Sunderland beat Leeds United 1–0 in 1973. Leeds were third in the First Division and Sunderland were in the Second.^[25] Three years later Second Division Southampton also won the Cup, against First Division Manchester United by the same 1–0 scoreline. The other non-top flight winners of the FA Cup were Notts County in 1894, the first non-top flight team to win the FA Cup since the inception of the league; Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1908; Barnsley in 1912; and West Bromwich Albion in 1931. West Bromwich Albion remain the only team to have won the FA Cup and promotion from the second flight in the same season.

Thus far the FA Cup final has never been contested by two teams from outside the top flight. Uniquely, in 2007–08, three of the four semi-finalists (Barnsley, Cardiff City and West Bromwich Albion), were from outside the top flight, although Portsmouth went on to win it.^[26]

Media coverage[link]

The FA Cup Final is one of ten events reserved for live broadcast on UK terrestrial television under the Ofcom Code on Sports and Other Listed & Designated Events.

From August 2008 until June 2012, FA Cup matches are shown live by ITV1 across England and Wales, with UTV broadcasting to Northern Ireland. ITV shows sixteen FA Cup games per season, including first pick live matches from each of the 1st to 6th rounds of the competition plus one semi-final exclusively live. The final is also shown live on ITV1.

Under the same contract, Setanta Sports showed three games and one replay in each round from round three to five, two quarter-finals, one semi-final and the final. The channel also broadcast ITV's matches exclusively to Scotland, after the ITV franchise holder in Scotland, STV, decided not to broadcast FA Cup games. Setanta entered administration in June 2009 and as a result the FA terminated Setanta's deal to broadcast the FA Cup and England internationals.^[27]

In October 2009, The FA announced that ITV would show an additional match in the First and Second Rounds on ITV1, with one replay match shown on ITV4. One match and one replay match from the first two rounds will broadcast on The FA website for free, in a similar situation to the 2010 World Cup Qualifier between Ukraine and England.^[28] The 2009–10 First Round match between Oldham Athletic and Leeds United was the first FA Cup match to be streamed online live.^[29]

Many^[who?] expected BSkyB to make a bid to show some of the remaining FA Cup games for the remainder of the 2009/10 season which would include a semi-final and shared rights to the final.^[30] ESPN took over the package Setanta held for the FA Cup from the 2010/11 season.^[31] The 2011 final was also shown live on Sky 3D in addition to ESPN (who provided the 3D coverage for Sky 3D) & ITV.^[32]

BBC Radio Five Live provide radio coverage including several full live commentaries with additional commentaries broadcast on BBC local radio stations.

Until the 2008/09 season, the BBC and Sky Sports shared television coverage, with the BBC showing three matches in the earlier rounds. Some analysts argued the decision to move away from the Sky and, in particular, the BBC undermined the FA Cup in the eyes of the public.^[33]

The FA Cup 2008–09 early rounds were being covered for the first time by ITV's online property, ITV Local. The first match of the season, between Wantage Town and Brading Town, was broadcast live online. Highlights of eight games of each round were being broadcast as catch up on ITV Local.^[34][35] Since the end of the ITV Local service, it is unknown whether or not this coverage will continue.

The FA sells overseas rights separately from the domestic contract. In Australia, FA Cup games from the 1st Round to the Semi-Finals are broadcast exclusively by Setanta Sports Australia, and the final is co-broadcast with SBS. Due to Australian anti-siphoning laws, the FA Cup Final is one of a select few sporting events of national significance, that must be shown on free-to-air commercial television. Meanwhile FOX Soccer Channel owns the rights in the United States. Supersport broadcasts the tournament in Africa, and Sony Pix in India.

See also[link]

• FA Cup Final
• FA Cup Semi-finals
• List of FA Cup winning managers
• FA Cup records

References[link]

External links[link]

• The FA Cup Archive – England's official Football Association site, all results with dates, including all qualifying rounds
• The official FA Cup website
• Thomas Fattorini Ltd. makers of the 1911 FA Cup – manufacturers of the 1911 FA Cup and other sporting trophies
• FA Cup going under the hammer – BBC News story on the sale of the second trophy
• FA Supporters – Independent FA Cup Supporters Club

Thierry Henry

Henry with the New York Red Bulls
Personal information
Full name	Thierry Daniel Henry[1]
Date of birth	(1977-08-17) 17 August 1977 (age 34)[1]
Place of birth	Les Ulis, Essonne, France
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	New York Red Bulls
Number	14
Youth career
1983–1989	CO Les Ulis
1989–1990	US Palaiseau
1990–1992	Viry-Châtillon
1992	Clairefontaine
1992–1994	Monaco
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1994–1999	Monaco	105	(20)
1999	Juventus	16	(3)
1999–2007	Arsenal	254	(174)
2007–2010	Barcelona	80	(35)
2010–	New York Red Bulls	46	(25)
2012	→ Arsenal (loan)	4	(1)
National team‡
1997	France U20	5	(3)
1997–2010	France	123	(51)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20:50, 30 May 2012 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 16:56, 11 February 2012 (UTC)

Thierry Daniel Henry (French pronunciation: [tjɛʁi ɑ̃ʁi]; born 17 August 1977) is a French footballer who plays as a striker for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.

Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne (a suburb of Paris) where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and signed instantly, making his professional debut in 1994. Good form led to an international call-up in 1998, after which he signed for the Serie A defending champions Juventus. He had a disappointing season playing on the wing, before joining Arsenal for £11 million in 1999.

It was at Arsenal that Henry made his name as a world-class footballer. Despite initially struggling in the Premier League, he emerged as Arsenal's top goal-scorer for almost every season of his tenure there. Under long-time mentor and coach Arsène Wenger, Henry became a prolific striker and Arsenal's all-time leading scorer with 228 goals in all competitions. The Frenchman won two league titles and three FA Cups with the Gunners; he was nominated for the FIFA World Player of the Year twice, was named the PFA Players' Player of the Year twice, and the FWA Footballer of the Year three times. Henry spent his final two seasons with Arsenal as club captain, leading them to the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final.

In June 2007, after eight years with Arsenal, he transferred to Barcelona for a fee of €24 million. His first honours with the Catalan club came in 2009 when they won the La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League treble. He went on to achieve an unprecedented sextuple by also winning the Supercopa de España, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. In total, Henry has been named in the UEFA Team of the Year five times. In 2010, he joined the New York Red Bulls of the Major League Soccer, and won the Eastern Conference title with them in 2010. He returned to Arsenal on loan for two months in 2012.

Henry enjoyed similar success with the French national team, having won the 1998 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2000 and 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup. In October 2007, he surpassed Michel Platini's record to become France's top goal-scorer of all time. Henry retired from international football after the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Off the pitch, Henry is an active spokesperson against racism in football, partially due to his own experiences. He married English model Nicole Merry in 2003 and had a daughter with her, but they divorced in 2007. Henry was also one of the top commercially marketed footballers; he was ranked ninth in the world in 2006.

Early years[link]

Henry is of Antillean heritage:^[2] his father, Antoine, is from Guadeloupe (La Désirade island), and his mother, Maryse, is from Martinique. He was born and raised in Les Ulis suburb of Paris which, despite sometimes being seen as a tough neighbourhood, provided good footballing facilities.^[3][4] As a seven-year-old, Henry showed great potential, prompting Claude Chezelle to recruit him to the local club CO Les Ulis. His father pressured him to attend training, although the youngster was not particularly drawn to football.^[1] He joined US Palaiseau in 1989, but after a year his father fell out with the club, so Henry moved to ES Viry-Châtillon and played there for two years.^[2] US Palaiseau coach Jean-Marie Panza, Henry's future mentor, followed him there.^[3]

Club career[link]

Monaco (1992–1999) and Juventus (1999)[link]

In 1990, Monaco sent scout Arnold Catalano to watch Henry, then at the age of 13 in a match.^[5] Henry scored all six goals as his side won 6–0. Catalano asked him to join Monaco without even attending a trial first. Catalano requested that Henry complete a course at the elite Clairefontaine academy, and despite the director's reluctance to admit Henry due to his poor school results, he was allowed to complete the course and joined Arsène Wenger's Monaco as a youth player.^[1] Subsequently, Henry signed professional forms with Monaco, and made his professional debut on 31 August 1994, in a 2–0 loss against Nice.^[5] Although Wenger suspected that Henry should be deployed as a striker, he put Henry on the left wing because he believed that his pace, natural ball control and skill would be more effective against full-backs than centre-backs.^[2]

After a tentative start to his Monaco career, Henry was named the French Young Footballer of the Year in 1996, and in the 1996–97 season, his solid performances helped the club win the Ligue 1 title.^[1][6] During the 1997–98 season, he was instrumental in leading his club to the UEFA Champions League semi-final, setting a French record by scoring seven goals in the competition.^[2][7] By his third season, he had received his first cap for the national team, and was part of the winning team in the 1998 FIFA World Cup.^[2] He continued to impress at his tenure with Monaco, and in his five seasons with the French club, the young winger scored 20 league goals in 105 appearances.^[6]

Henry left Monaco in January 1999, one year before his friend and teammate David Trezeguet, and moved to Italian Serie A club Juventus for £10.5 million.^[1] He played on the wing,^[8] but he was ineffective against the Serie A defensive discipline in a position uncharacteristic for him, and scored just three goals in 16 appearances.^[9]

Arsenal (1999–2007)[link]

Henry was made captain following the departure of fellow Frenchman Patrick Vieira to Juventus in 2005

Unsettled in Italy, Henry transferred from Juventus on 3 August 1999 to Arsenal for an estimated fee of £11 million, reuniting with his former manager Arsène Wenger.^[10][11] It was at Arsenal that Henry made his name as a world-class footballer,^[12] and although his transfer was not without controversy, Wenger was convinced he was worth the transfer fee.^[2] Brought in as a replacement for fellow French forward Nicolas Anelka, Henry was immediately moulded into a striker by Wenger, a move that would pay rich dividends in years to come. However, doubts were raised about his ability to adapt to the quick and physical English game when he failed to score in his first eight games.^[3] After several difficult months in England, Henry even conceded that he had to "be re-taught everything about the art of striking."^[3] These doubts were dispelled when he ended his first season at Arsenal with an impressive goal tally of 26.^[13] Arsenal finished second in the league behind Manchester United, and lost in the UEFA Cup Final against Turkish side Galatasaray.^[2]

Coming off the back of a victorious UEFA Euro 2000 campaign with the national team, Henry was ready to make an impact in the 2000–01 season. Despite recording fewer goals and assists than his first season, Henry's second season with Arsenal proved to be a breakthrough, as he became the club's top goalscorer.^[14] Armed with one of the league's best attacks, Arsenal closed in quickly on perennial rivals Manchester United for the league title. Henry remained frustrated, however, by the fact that he had yet to help the club win honours, and frequently expressed his desire to establish Arsenal as a powerhouse.^[2]

Success finally arrived during the 2001–02 season. Arsenal finished seven points above Liverpool to win the league title, and defeated Chelsea 2–0 in the FA Cup Final.^[2] Henry became the league's top goal-scorer and netted 32 goals in all competitions as he led Arsenal to a double and his first silverware with the club.^[1][14] There was much expectation that Henry would replicate his club form for France during the 2002 FIFA World Cup, but the defending champions suffered a shock exit at the group stage.^[2]

2002–03 proved to be another productive season for Henry, as he scored 32 goals in all competitions while contributing 23 assists—remarkable returns for a striker.^[14] In doing so, he led Arsenal to another FA Cup triumph (where he was man-of-the-match in the Final),^[15] although Arsenal failed to retain their Premier League crown.^[16] Throughout the season, he competed with Manchester United's Ruud van Nistelrooy for the league scoring title, but the latter edged Henry to the title by a goal.^[2] Nonetheless, Henry was named both the PFA Players' Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year.^[17][18] His rising status as one of the world's best footballers was affirmed when he emerged runner-up for the 2003 FIFA World Player of the Year award.^[12]

Henry in a game against Charlton Athletic in 2006

Entering the 2003–04 season, Arsenal were determined to reclaim the Premier League crown. Henry was again instrumental in Arsenal's exceptionally successful campaign; together with the likes of Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Vieira and Robert Pirès, Henry ensured that the Gunners became the first team in more than a century to go through the entire domestic league season unbeaten, claiming the league title in the process.^[19] Apart from being named for the second year running as the PFA Players' Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year,^[17][18] Henry emerged once again as the runner-up for 2004 FIFA World Player of the Year award.^[12] With 39 goals scored in all competitions, the Frenchman led the league in goals scored and won the European Golden Boot.^[1][20] However, as was the case in 2002, Henry was unable to lead the national side to honours during UEFA Euro 2004.^[2]

This dip in success was compounded when Arsenal failed again to secure back-to-back league titles when they lost out to Chelsea in the 2004–05 season, although Arsenal did win the FA Cup (the Final of which Henry missed through injury).^[6] Henry maintained his reputation as one of Europe's most feared strikers as he led the league in scoring,^[1] and with 31 goals in all competitions,^[21] he was the co-recipient (with Diego Forlán) of the European Golden Boot, and is currently the only player to have officially won the award twice in a row (Ally McCoist also had two Golden Boots in a row, but both were deemed unofficial).^[20] The unexpected departure of compatriot Vieira in mid-2005 led to Henry being awarded club captaincy, a role which many felt was not naturally suited for him; the captaincy is more commonly given to defenders or midfielders, who are better-placed on the pitch to read the game.^[1] Along with being chief goal-scorer, he was responsible for leading a very young team which had yet to gel fully.^[22]

After the retirement of Dennis Bergkamp, Henry regularly partnered Robin van Persie up front in the Arsenal attack

The 2005–06 season proved to be one of remarkable personal achievements for Henry. On 17 October 2005, Henry became the club's top goal-scorer of all time;^[23] two goals against Sparta Prague in the Champions League meant he broke Ian Wright's record of 185 goals.^[24] On 1 February 2006, he scored a goal against West Ham United, bringing his league goal tally up to 151, breaking Arsenal legend Cliff Bastin's league goals record.^[25] Henry scored his 100th league goal at Highbury, a feat unparalleled in the history of the club, and a unique achievement in the Premier League.^[26] He completed the season as the league's top goal-scorer,^[1] and for the third time in his career, he was voted the FWA Footballer of the Year.^[6]

Nevertheless, Arsenal failed to win the league title again, but hopes of a trophy were revived when Arsenal reached the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final. The Gunners eventually lost 2–1 to Barcelona, and Arsenal's inability to win the Premier League for two consecutive seasons combined with the relative inexperience of the Arsenal squad caused much speculation that Henry would leave for another club. However, he declared his love for the club and accepted a four-year contract, and said he would stay at Arsenal for life.^[18] Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein later claimed the club had turned down two bids of £50 million from Spanish clubs for Henry before the signing of the new contract.^[27] Had the transfer materialized, it would have surpassed the then world record £47 million paid for Zinédine Zidane.^[27]

Henry's 2006–07 season was marred by injuries.^[28] Although he scored 10 goals in 17 domestic appearances for Arsenal, Henry's season was cut short in February. Having missed games due to hamstring, foot, and back problems, he was deemed fit enough to come on as a late substitute against PSV in a Champions League match,^[29] but began limping shortly after coming on. Scans the next day revealed that he would need at least three months to heal from new groin and stomach injuries, missing the rest of the 2006–07 season.^[30] Wenger attributed Henry's injuries to a protracted 2005–06 campaign, and reiterated that Henry was keen on staying with the Gunners to rebuild for the 2007–08 season.^[28]

Barcelona (2007–2010)[link]

Henry in Barcelona colours

On 25 June 2007, in an unexpected turn of events, Henry was transferred to Barcelona for €24 million. He signed a four-year deal for a reported €6.8 (£4.6) million per season.^[31] It was revealed that the contract included a release clause of €125 (£84.9) million.^[32] Henry cited the departure of Dein and continued uncertainty over Wenger's future as reasons for leaving,^[33][34] and maintained that "I always said that if I ever left Arsenal it would be to play for Barcelona."^[35] Despite their captain's departure, Arsenal got off to an impressive start for the 2007–08 campaign, and Henry admitted that his presence in the team might have been more of a hindrance than a help. He stated: "Because of my seniority, the fact that I was captain and my habit of screaming for the ball, they would sometimes give it to me even when I was not in the best position. So in that sense it was good for the team that I moved on."^[36] Henry left Arsenal as the club's leading all-time league goal-scorer with 174 goals and leading all-time goal-scorer in Europe with 42 goals;^[1] in July 2008, Arsenal fans voted him as Arsenal's greatest player ever in Arsenal.com's Gunners' Greatest 50 Players poll.^[37]

Henry takes on Rio Ferdinand inside the Manchester United penalty area during the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final.

At Barcelona, Henry was given the number 14 jersey, the same as he had worn at Arsenal. He scored his first goal for his new club on 19 September 2007 in a 3–0 Champions League group stage win over Lyon,^[38] and he recorded his first hat-trick for Barça in a league match against Levante ten days later.^[39] But with Henry mostly deployed on the wing throughout the season, he was unable to reproduce the goal-scoring form he achieved with Arsenal. He expressed dissatisfaction with the move to Barcelona in the initial year, amidst widespread speculation of a return to the Premier League. In an interview with Garth Crooks on BBC Football Focus, Henry described missing life "back home" and even "the English press".^[40] However, Henry concluded his debut season as the club's top scorer with 19 goals in addition to nine league assists, second behind Lionel Messi's 10.

Henry went on to surpass this tally in a more integrated 2008–09 campaign, winning the first trophy of his Barcelona career on 13 May 2009 when Barcelona defeated Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final. Barcelona won the league and Champions League soon after, completing a treble for the Frenchman, who had combined with Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto'o to score 100 goals between them that season. The trio was also the most prolific trio in Spanish league history, scoring 72 goals and surpassing the 66 goals of Real Madrid's Ferenc Puskás, Alfredo Di Stéfano and Luis del Sol of the 1960–61 season. Later in 2009, Henry helped Barcelona win an unprecedented sextuple, consisting of the aforementioned treble, the Supercopa de España, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup.^[41]

The following season, the emergence of Pedro Rodríguez meant that Henry only started 15 league games.^[14] Before the La Liga season ended, and with a year still left on his contract, club president Joan Laporta stated on 5 May 2010 that Henry "may go away in the summer transfer window if that's what he wants".^[42] After Henry returned from the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Barcelona confirmed that they had agreed to the sale of Henry to an unnamed club, with the player still to agree terms with the new club.^[43]

New York Red Bulls (2010–present)[link]

Henry facing Phil Jones in the 2011 MLS All-Star Game

In July 2010, Henry signed a multi-year contract with Major League Soccer (MLS) club New York Red Bulls for the 2010 season as its second designated player.^[44] He made his full MLS debut on 31 July in a 2–2 draw against Houston Dynamo, assisting both goals to Juan Pablo Angel. His first MLS goal came on 28 August in a 2–0 victory against San Jose Earthquakes. The Red Bulls eventually topped the MLS Eastern Conference by one point over Columbus Crew^[45] before losing 3–2 on aggregate against San Jose Earthquakes in the quarterfinals of the 2010 MLS Cup Playoffs.^[46] The next season, the Red Bulls were 10th overall in the league,^[47] and bowed out in the Conference Semi-finals of the 2011 MLS Cup Playoffs.^[48]

Henry on loan to Arsenal

After training with Arsenal during the MLS off-season, Henry re-signed for the club on a two-month loan deal on 6 January 2012. This was to provide cover for Gervinho and Marouane Chamakh, who were unavailable due to their participation in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.^[49] Henry made his second Arsenal debut as a substitute against Leeds United in the FA Cup third round and scored the only goal.^[50] In his last league game on loan, he scored the winning goal in stoppage time in a 2–1 win against Sunderland.^[51] On 17 February 2012, Henry returned to Red Bulls to prepare for the 2012 season.

On 31 March 2012, Henry scored his first MLS hat-trick in a 5–2 Red Bulls win over Montreal Impact.^[52]

International career[link]

Henry enjoyed a successful career with the France national team, winning the first of his 123 caps in June 1997, when his good form for Monaco was rewarded with a call-up to the Under-20 French national team, where he played in the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship alongside future teammates William Gallas and David Trézéguet.^[1] Within four months, France head coach Aimé Jacquet called Henry up to the senior team. The 20-year-old made his senior international debut on 11 October 1997 in a 2–1 win against South Africa.^[53] Jacquet was so impressed with Henry that he took him to the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Although Henry was a largely unknown quantity at international level, he ended the tournament as France's top scorer with three goals.^[54] He was scheduled to appear as a substitute in the final, where France beat Brazil 3–0, but Marcel Desailly's sending off forced a defensive change instead. In 1998, he was made Chevalier (Knight) of the Légion d'honneur, France's highest decoration.^[55]

Henry was a member of France's UEFA Euro 2000 squad, again scoring three goals in the tournament, including the equaliser against Portugal in the semi-final, and finishing as the country's top scorer.^[56] France later won the game in extra time following a converted penalty kick by Zinédine Zidane. France went on to defeat Italy in extra-time in the Final, earning Henry his second major international medal.^[57] During the tournament, Henry was voted man-of-the-match in three games, including the final against Italy.^[58]

The 2002 FIFA World Cup featured a stunning early exit for both Henry and France as the defending champions were eliminated in the group stage after failing to score a goal in all three games.^[1] France lost their first match in group play and Henry was red carded for a dangerous sliding challenge in their next match against Uruguay.^[2] In that game, France played to a 0–0 draw, but Henry was forced to miss the final match due to suspension; France lost 2–0 to Denmark.^[2]

Henry returned to form for his country at the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup. Despite playing without team stalwarts Zidane and Patrick Vieira, France won, in large part owing to Henry's outstanding play, for which he was named Man of the Match by FIFA's Technical Study Group in three of France's five matches.^[1] In the final, he scored the golden goal in extra time to lift the title for the host country after a 1–0 victory over Cameroon.^[1] Henry was awarded both the adidas Golden Ball as the outstanding player of the competition and the adidas Golden Shoe as the tournament's top goal-scorer with four goals.^[1]

In UEFA Euro 2004, Henry played in all of France's matches and scored two goals.^[6] France beat England in the group stages but lost to the eventual winners Greece 1–0 in the quarter-finals.^[59] During the 2006 FIFA World Cup Henry remained as one of the automatic starters in the squad. He played as a lone striker, but despite an indifferent start to the tournament, became one of the top players of the World Cup. He scored three goals, including the winning goal from Zidane's free kick against defending champions Brazil.^[1] However, France subsequently lost to Italy on penalties (5–3) in the final. Henry did not take part in the penalty shoot-out, having been substituted in extra time after his legs had cramped.^[60] Henry was one of 10 nominees for the Golden Ball award for Player of the Tournament, an award which was ultimately presented to his teammate, Zidane^[61] and was named a starting striker on the 2006 FIFPro World XI team.^[62]

On 13 October 2007, Henry scored his 41st goal against the Faroe Islands, joining Michel Platini as the country's top goal-scorer of all time.^[36] Four days later at the Stade de la Beaujoire, he scored a late double against Lithuania, thereby setting a new record as France's top goal-scorer.^[63] On 3 June 2008, Henry made his 100th appearance for national team in match against Colombia, becoming the sixth French player ever to reach that milestone.^[64]

Henry missed the opening game of France's short-lived UEFA Euro 2008 campaign, where they were eliminated in the group stages after being grouped together with Italy, the Netherlands and Romania.^[65] He scored France's only goal in the competition in a 4–1 loss to the Netherlands.^[66]

The French team struggled during the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and finished second in their group behind Serbia. During the play-offs against the Republic of Ireland, Henry was involved in a controversy in the second leg of the game at the Stade de France on 18 November 2009. With the aggregate score tied at 1–1 and the game in extra time, he used his hand twice to control the ball before delivering a cross to William Gallas who scored the winner.^[67] This sparked a barrage of criticism against the Frenchman, while national team coach Raymond Domenech and Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger defended him.^[68][69] The Football Association of Ireland lodged a formal complaint with FIFA, seeking a replay of the game, which FIFA declined.^[70] Henry said that he contemplated retiring from international football after the reactions to the incident,^[71] but maintained that he was not a "cheat"; hours after FIFA had ruled out a replay, he stated that "the fairest solution would be to replay the game".^[72] FIFA President Sepp Blatter described the incident as "blatant unfair play" and announced an inquiry into how such incidents could be avoided in future, and added that the incident would be investigated by the Disciplinary Committee.^[73] Blatter also said Henry told him that his family had been threatened in the aftermath of the incident.^[74] In January 2010, FIFA announced that there was no legal basis to sanction Henry.^[75]

Henry did not feature in the starting line-up for France at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. France drew in their first game against Uruguay, and lost 2–0 in their second against Mexico. The team was thrown into disarray when Nicolas Anelka was expelled from the team, and captain Patrice Evra led a team protest by refusing to train.^[76] In the final group game against host-nation South Africa in which Henry came on as a second-half substitute, France lost 2–1 and were eliminated from the tournament. He then announced his retirement from international football, having won 123 caps and scored 51 goals for Les Bleus.^[77]

Style of play[link]

Henry was the first-choice free kick taker for Arsenal

Although Henry played up front as a striker during his youth,^[3] he spent his time at Monaco and Juventus playing on the wing. When Henry joined Arsenal in 1999, Wenger immediately changed this, switching Henry to his childhood position, often pairing him with Dutch veteran Dennis Bergkamp.^[8] During the 2004–05 season, Wenger switched Arsenal's formation to 4–5–1.^[78] This change forced Henry to adapt again to fit into the Arsenal team, and he played many games as a lone striker.^[8] Still, Henry remained Arsenal's main offensive threat, on many occasions conjuring spectacular goals. Wenger once said of his fellow Frenchman: "Thierry Henry could take ball in the middle of park and score a goal that no one else in the world could score".^[79]

One of the reasons cited for Henry's impressive play up front is his ability to calmly score from one-on-ones.^[80] This, combined with his exceptional pace, means that he can get in behind defenders regularly enough to score.^[3][81] When up front, Henry is occasionally known to move out wide to the left wing position,^[82][83] something which enables him to contribute heavily in assists: between 2002–03 and 2004–05, the striker managed almost 50 assists in total and this was attributed to his unselfish play and creativity.^[23] Henry would also drift offside to fool the defence then run back onside before the ball is played and beat the offside trap, although he never provided Arsenal a distinct aerial threat.^[84] Given his versatility in being able to operate as both a winger and a striker, the Frenchman is not a prototypical "out-and-out striker", but he has emerged consistently as one of Europe's most prolific strikers.^[2] In set pieces, Henry was the first-choice penalty and free kick taker for Arsenal, having scored regularly from those positions.^[85]

Awards and honours[link]

Club[link]

Monaco

• Ligue 1 (1): 1996–97
• Trophée des champions (1): 1997

Arsenal

• Premier League (2): 2001–02, 2003–04
• FA Cup (3): 2002, 2003, 2005
• FA Community Shield (2): 2002, 2004

Barcelona

• La Liga (2): 2008–09, 2009–10
• Copa del Rey (1): 2008-09
• Supercopa de España (1): 2009
• UEFA Champions League (1): 2008-09
• UEFA Super Cup (1): 2009
• FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2009

New York Red Bulls

• MLS Eastern Conference (1): 2010

National[link]

France

• FIFA World Cup

Winner: France 1998

Runners-up: Germany 2006

• UEFA European Football Championship

Winner: Belgium & Netherlands 2000

• FIFA Confederations Cup

Winner: France 2003

• King Hassan II International Cup Tournament

Winner: Morocco 2000

Individual[link]

Henry has received many plaudits and awards in his football career. He was runner-up for the 2003 and 2004 FIFA World Player of the Year awards;^[12] in those two seasons, he also won back-to-back PFA Players' Player of the Year titles.^[17] Henry is the only player ever to have won the FWA Footballer of the Year three times (2003, 2004, 2006),^[18] and the French Player of the Year on a record four occasions. Henry was voted into the Premier League Overseas Team of the Decade in the 10 Seasons Awards poll in 2003,^[86] and in 2004 he was named by football legend Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers.^[87]

In terms of goal-scoring awards, Henry was the European Golden Boot winner in 2004 and 2005 (sharing it with Villarreal's Diego Forlán in 2005) and is the first ever player to retain the award.^[20] Henry was also the top goal-scorer in the Premier League for a record four seasons (2002, 2004, 2005, 2006).^[1] In 2006, he became the first player to score more than 20 goals in the league for five consecutive seasons (2002 to 2006).^[88] Henry is currently third in the list of all-time Premier League goal-scorers, behind Alan Shearer and Andy Cole. Given his accomplishments, France's all-time goal-scorer was in his prime regarded by many coaches, footballers and pundits as one of the best footballers in the world.^{[14][89][90][91]} In November 2007, he was ranked 33rd on the Association of Football Statisticians' compendium for "Greatest Ever Footballers".^[92] Arsenal fans honoured their former player in 2008, declaring Henry the greatest Arsenal player.^[37] In two other 2008 surveys, Henry emerged as the favourite Premier League player of all time among 32,000 people surveyed in the Barclays 2008 Global Fan Report.^[93][94] In 2009, Henry was voted the best Premier League player of the 2000s.^[95] On 10 December 2011, Arsenal unveiled a bronze statue of Henry at the Emirates Stadium as part of its 125th anniversary celebrations.^[96]

A summary of Henry's individual awards is as follows:

• UNFP Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year (1): 1996–97
• PFA Players' Player of the Year (2): 2002–03, 2003–04
• PFA Team of the Year (6): 2000-01, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06
• FWA Footballer of the Year (3): 2002–03, 2003–04, 2005–06
• Premier League Golden Boot (4): 2001–02, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06.
• Golden Boot Landmark Award 10 (1): 2004–05
• Golden Boot Landmark Award 20 (1): 2004–05
• Premier League Player of the Month (4): April 2000, September 2002, January 2004, April 2004
• Goal of the Season (1): 2002–03
• UEFA Team of the Year (5): 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006
• MLS Best XI (1): 2011
• MLS Player of the Month (1): March 2012
• Onze d'Or (2): 2003, 2006
• European Golden Boot (2): 2003-04, 2004-05
• French Player of the Year (5): 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
• IFFHS World's Top Goal Scorer of the Year (1): 2003
• FIFA FIFPro World XI (1): 2006
• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team (1): Germany 2006
• FIFA Confederations Cup Golden Ball (1): France 2003
• FIFA Confederations Cup Golden Shoe (1): France 2003
• UEFA European Football Championship Team of the Tournament (1): 2000
• FIFA 100 : 2004
• Time 100 Heroes & Pioneers no.16 : 2007
• English Football Hall of Fame : 2008
• Premier League 10 Seasons Awards (1992–93 – 2001–02)
  • Overseas Team of the Decade
• Premier League 20 Seasons Awards
  • Fantasy Team (Panel choice)
  • Fantasy Team (Public choice)
• Légion d'Honneur : 1998

Career statistics[link]

Club[link]

As of 30 May 2012^{[1][6][97][98]}