Henry: "Kurt Cobain was a genius"

Barcelona player Thiery Henry gave an interview to Catalan sports paper Sport.





What did you meet when you joined Barça?
Arriving here was a 'shock' because of the timetables, the travels. In England, the press or the fans never travelled with us. And we didn't have fans close during training sessions. If we wanted, we didn't see anyone. I adore quietness but here you can't be relaxed. It was a radical change. In England we had a private zone at the airports and on my first trip with Barça I was overwhelmed.

And regarding football?
It's different. The passion in the Premier League is unrivalled. The intensity, the fans...

Is there selfishness in football?
It's logic. A great football player has a bigger ego than normal, and that's why he's great. I played with Dennis Bergkamp, an incredible guy. They called him 'Ice Man' because he never smiled but in the dressingroom he was the bomb. He had an impeccable attitude. Great players have something extra, an element that others don't have. Football is complicated because you must have a selfishness that helps the team. If you can pass the ball but instead you score yourself and you help the team by that, that's good.

You have to communicate with each other?
It's vital. You have to learn from others. In your family, with friends, with your partner, at work. I have a lot of muslim friends and I like to talk with them about their religion. I like to understand their traditions. To know a man, you need to know his past, his origins, his roots.

Are you religious?
I was born and raised as a catholic but I don't practise it.

Is it clear to you who your friends are?
It is complicated because you're appraoached by too many people. When I started playing football, I had many friends. When I made my debut at Monaco, we won the league. I was a regular and the best player in France but it was hard trying to maintain the same level in the second year. I didn't play well, I had difficulties keeping my level and I had a really hard time. People said that I was not going to go to the World Cup and I had a breakdown. There are still people who believe that everything was given to me the easy way but I know very well who my friends are.

You prefer to be the best or the first?
I've said it many times but people think it's just some cheap way of making myself interesting. I could be the best player of the season or the top goalscorer but the most important thing is the team. Never in my life have I put my personal benefit first.

Who did you admire when you were young?
Van Basten and Michael Jordan. That seriousness in his face!

You like music?
Music is very important for me. I can tell you where I was the first time I heard a song. I like to go back to places where I spent my youth. With the music of Kassav' I can travel to Martinique, to Guadeloupe, recall things I did at home. With hip hop, on the other hand, I return to my neighbourhood. Music allows me to dream, to travel. I sit down in my couch, I put some music on and I'm off. I have a broad taste. I listen to Kassav', Nirvana, Kurt Cobain was a genius, Aerosmith, Luther Vandross, The Commodores, Al Green, Ray Charles, Public Enemy, 50 Cent, Eminem, Jay Z. Groups and singers who transmit something.


This was the third part of this interview. You will be able to read the other parts in the coming days with Henry talking -among other things- about his relationships and his vision on life.

Read the earlier parts of the interview here:
"I'm a bit of a loner beause of my youth"
"I find peace in Guadeloupe"