2008 France Home – Henry #12

Tournament Overview

This is the shirt France wore at UEFA Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland, and it comes from one of the most turbulent campaigns in Les Bleus history. Raymond Domenech's side qualified from a tough group alongside Italy, finishing with 8 wins, 2 draws and 2 defeats and a goal difference of +20. Then came the "Group of Death" in Group C, with Italy, the Netherlands and Romania.

It started with a flat 0–0 draw against Romania in Zürich. A 4–1 defeat to a brilliant Dutch side in Bern followed, and a 2–0 loss to Italy in Zürich finished the job. Abidal was sent off in that last game, and France went out with just one point. It was a group-stage exit for a nation that had been world finalists two years earlier. It was a painful chapter, but it makes this kit a real piece of history for collectors.

Player's Impact – Thierry Henry

Henry went into Euro 2008 as France's talisman and wore the iconic #12. He was Les Bleus' leading scorer in qualifying, with six goals in eight appearances. That included strikes against Italy, the Faroe Islands, Lithuania (twice) and Ukraine.

At the tournament itself he scored France's only goal, against the Netherlands in Bern. He also led the line, and wore the armband, in the decisive Italy match, forcing two saves from Buffon while playing up front with young Karim Benzema. For collectors, a Henry #12 from this era is a snapshot of the end of the golden generation. It was the final major tournament of that squad's era, and Henry was the greatest forward of his generation.

France Squad – UEFA Euro 2008

Manager: Raymond Domenech

Goalkeepers: Steve Mandanda (1), Sébastien Frey (16), Grégory Coupet (23)

Defenders: Jean-Alain Boumsong (2), Eric Abidal (3), William Gallas (5), Patrice Evra (13), François Clerc (14), Lilian Thuram (15), Sébastien Squillaci (17), Willy Sagnol (19)

Midfielders: Patrick Vieira (4), Claude Makélélé (6), Samir Nasri (11), Jérémy Toulalan (20), Lassana Diarra (21), Franck Ribéry (22)

Forwards: Nicolas Anelka (8), Karim Benzema (9), Sidney Govou (10), Thierry Henry (12), Bafétimbi Gomis (18), Florent Malouda (7)