Henry Prepared for Vieira Battle as Monaco Host Nice
Former Arsenal and France teammates Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira will face off for the first time as managers when Monaco host Nice in Wednesday's rescheduled Ligue 1 clash
Thierry Henry says he and Patrick Vieira will put their friendship on ice for the duration of Wednesday's clash between Monaco and Nice.
The former Arsenal and France teammates facing off as managers for the first time is the standout game in a batch of rescheduled midweek Ligue 1 fixtures.
The two coaches were both part of France's World Cup-winning squad in 1998 and enjoyed further success at Arsenal, where together they scooped two Premier League and FA Cup titles as integral members of Arsene Wenger's squad.
"We played with each other, battled with each other in the national team and with Arsenal, but it's going to be Monaco versus Nice. That's the most important thing," Henry said in the preview to the game.
"For a little bit, we're not going to like each other because we're not supposed to like each other playing that kind of game. That's the way it is, and that's the way it's always going to be."
The Monaco boss also praised his Nice counterpart, however: "He's a friend of mine, at the end of the game, it won't change that. And he's a guy that I really admire, not only as the player that he used to be, but also the man himself. So, hopefully it can be a good game and we win at the end."
Monaco are second from bottom in the Ligue 1 standings following a disastrous campaign.
The Cote d'Azur side has picked up just 14 points from 19 games, and sits four points from safety midway through the season.
Since taking the reins from Leonardo Jardim, Henry has struggled to turn things around for the Ligue 1 giants, picking up just eight points in his 10 league games in charge.
Monaco will be looking to end a miserable run of nine games without a win at the Stade Louis II.
Henry has been busy in the winter transfer window in an effort to avoid relegation, signing Naldo for $2.3million and bringing William Vainqueur in on loan to help bolster his defense.
The Gunner's legend also lured former Arsenal teammate Cesc Fabregas to the club, with the Spaniard making his Ligue 1 debut in Sunday's 1-1 draw against Marseille at the Stade Velodrome.
Curiously, Henry made his professional debut as a player against Nice (August 1994), and will be hoping for a better outcome than the 2-0 defeat he suffered then.
Meanwhile, Nice find themselves in eighth place with a view of pushing into the European places.
Vieira's men boast the third best defensive record in Ligue 1 this season with just 17 goals conceded, but are the joint-lowest scorers in the division, managing, along with Guingamp, a paltry 14 goals.
The former New York City FC coach is on the market for a new striker following the deterioration of his relationship with Mario Balotelli, but recently stated that the mercurial Italy international might in fact stay until the end of the season when his contract ends.
