Henry overwhelmed after move
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With nearly 30,000 fans providing a hero's welcome to its newest signing, Thierry Henry already looked at home on the Nou Camp turf
in his No. 14 FC Barcelona jersey.
Even star player Ronaldinho didn't have that many supporters on hand when he was introduced nearly four years ago. "It's great to be here playing at Barcelona," the former Arsenal captain said in Catalan after he had greeted the ecstatic |
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crowd and performed some ball-juggling tricks.
"I always said that if I ever leave Arsenal, it would be to play for Barcelona. It's no disrespect to anybody, it's my choice,"
Henry told reporters earlier. "The way Barcelona plays, the fans, just being here and what I'm noticing now, it's outstanding."
The emotions looked to hit Henry as he performed a lap across the Nou Camp.
The 29-year-old Frenchman never stopped clapping the fans, pausing only to pat the Barcelona crest on his jersey, all the while taking an occasional moment to
let it all sink in.
"I'm always surprised when I see all you guys (the press) here and all the people in the stands waiting to see me," Henry said. "What they say is true:
Barcelona is more than just a club."
President Joan Laporta introduced the Catalan club's first major summer signing as one of the greatest players in the world, comparing him to club legend Johann
Cruyff who wore the same number.
Henry will have some work to do to show the comparison is merited after being limited to 17 games last season due to stomach and groin injuries. It was the
first time in his eight-year career at Arsenal that the Frenchman featured in less than 30 games.
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Henry, who passed his
medical earlier Monday, will train under a special program to
avoid a recurrence of the groin injury that limited his
season.
"If you look at my record of injuries there is only one. Maybe
not having played too much the season before can be good for
this season," Henry said. |
Barcelona paid €24 million (US$32 million) for Henry, who signed a four-year deal after leaving Arsenal as the club's top
scorer, with 226 goals in 364 appearances. He helped the London team to two
Premier League titles, three FA Cups and the 2006 Champions League final, which
it lost to Barcelona.
Just where Henry will fit into coach Frank Rijkaard's star-studded - but
underachieving - team is uncertain.
The club boasts two-time FIFA player of the year Ronaldinho, Cameroon striker
Samuel Eto'o, Argentina winger Lionel Messi as well as playmaking midfielders
Deco, Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez.
"A great club like Barcelona will always have high quality players; what's most
important is that Barcelona wins," Henry said. "Sometimes you have to sit on the
bench, sometimes you play - that's how you win titles. You have to adapt."
Barcelona was unable to adapt this past season, its first trophy-less campaign
since 2004.
Problems in the dressing room overshadowed its on-field play as the defending
Champions League winners crashed out of Europe, were embarrassed in the Copa del
Rey semifinals by mid-table Getafe and lost the league title to bitter rival
Real Madrid.
Henry doesn't want to shake up the team or set any objectives for the season
just yet.
"It has to be a club objective and it has to be about the club," he said. "There
are some people who have been here a very long time and hopefully they can show
me the way."
Kevin Tanneau, a 22-year-old native of Bretagne, France, was among those in the
grandstands excited at the prospect of watching Henry in the red and blue of
Barcelona.
"It's incredible to know I can have the chance to see him play here. He's one of
my favorites," Tanneau said. "My only worry is will he play or sit on the
bench?"
--AP, Barcelona
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