The attacks of September 11, 2001 will forever remain a trauma in the minds of Americans. But not only that. Like Rafael Nadal, many European athletes have kept very specific and emotional memories of this sad day when terrorists hijacked two airliners and crashed them into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York, causing nearly 3,000 victims.
Thierry Henry is one of them. 25 years ago, the French striker played for the Gunners and had to play a European match when the tragedy had barely occurred. “I will never forget that Arsenal had to play a Champions League match against Mallorca just five hours after the Twin Towers fell in New York”he wrote in his column for the tabloid The Sunin 2015.
Thierry Henry: “It was the only time in my career that I didn’t care that I lost”
“ It was the only time in my career that I didn’t care that I lost (0-1),” he said. We played because we had to, but if physically I was good on the pitch, mentally I was on the other side of the Atlantic with all these people who were suffering in the United States. We returned to London that evening, when all the other planes were grounded. Nobody thought about the result of the match we had just played. »
The former top scorer in the history of the Blues probably didn’t know it yet, but his career then took him to the “Big Apple”. After leaving Arsenal and then playing for FC Barcelona, the 1998 world champion headed to the United States to defend the colors of the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer, from 2010 to 2014. An experience which strengthened his sentimental bond with this city and this country.
