Arsenal icon Thierry Henry has shared details of a clash he had with Xavi upon his transfer to Barcelona, citing a disagreement over the Catalan club’s famous motto. The French striker, who’s etched into footballing history as one of the finest forwards, has clinched almost every significant trophy and boasts an impressive tally of 366 career goals.
His high-profile move to Barcelona in the 2007-08 season followed an illustrious eight-season stint with Arsenal, during which he was instrumental in securing two Premier League crowns and three FA Cups, scoring 226 times across 370 matches
However, not long after arriving at Barcelona, a quip about the club’s motto “mes que un club” – meaning “more than a club” – brought him back to earth, with his new teammate Xavi promptly telling him to “shut up and work”. On the Stick to Football podcast, Henry recounted:”When I joined Barcelona, I was upset as I was the new one on the block – people are having a go at you more than the guy that won before, which I understand but it does wind you up.
I always remember, I was with Samuel Eto’o, we’re going up the stairs at the Camp Nou, and I’m looking at the Més que un club. I’m talking to Samuel Eto’o, and I said ‘Mes que un club? Come on man’.
“Xavi was behind me, and I didn’t see he was behind me. He goes ‘Oi – what did you say?’ He said, ‘Don’t talk about my club like this, you’ve never won anything here. Shut up, work, and when you win something one day, you can talk about it.’
I looked at him at that moment, he was well within his rights for me to understand what it was – because I didn’t know what it was. Now I know what it is, because I lost there, I won there, I understood what the club meant and what it means.
This is why the club is what the club is, because Xavi passed it onto me at that moment. I didn’t say anything back, and it’s not like me to not have the last word, but I looked at him and said sorry.
With Barcelona, they will all hammer you with what the club is. Anyone who went to La Masia, anyone who won there, they will talk about to you, they will pass it on, because they believe in it, because they have a duty, they have a way of playing, you like it, or you don’t. They are proud of what they do, and proud of the club – but it’s nice to have people around the club like that.
Despite a less-than-stellar start at Camp Nou, Henry’s initial season saw him contribute modestly in front of goal with 12 strikes in 30 La Liga appearances and 19 across all competitions, culminating in a treble win.
His subsequent season witnessed an upswing in form as he netted 26 goals in total, securing another La Liga title. However, during his third stint, minutes on the pitch became scarce with new talents like Pedro emerging, leading to only four goals scored by Henry in competition.
Henry bid farewell to Barca in 2010, rounding off his career at New York Red Bulls in the MLS, where he found the back of the net 52 times in 135 matches. Arsenal supporters will fondly remember his short loan stint with the Gunners during the 2011-12 season, where he bagged two goals in seven games.
