More than 30,000 fans turned up at the Camp Nou on Monday evening to welcome Thierry Henry in person.
The excitement caused by the official presentation of Thierry Henry as a
Barça player can only be compared to the signing of Ronaldinho four years ago. And we’re not
just talking about the fans but also the international multitude of journalists that swarmed over
the Camp Nou throughout the day.
Signing the deal
At about 5 pm, Thierry Henry arrived at the club offices to sign his contract. The
fans had been arriving at the Camp Nou, where the new kit was also being unveiled, for at least an
hour beforehand. They were able to follow the unfolding story as told by Barça TV via the giant
video screens at each end of the stadium.
Anthem and euphoria
With the Barça anthem ringing around the stadium, the fans erupted into thunderous applause
when Thierry Henry finally made his appearance on the pitch. Wearing
the new Barça strip, he gave a few touches to the football before launching it into
the crowd. He then did a lap of the stadium to greet the fans.
The mainly youthful fans chanted his name while Henry repeatedly expressed his thanks and
waved to the crowd. After sending them another ball, he returned to the dressing room watched by
Joan Laporta and many members of the Board.
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More than100 media organisations and 200 journalists
A total of 40 newspapers and magazines 25 agencies, 14 radio stations and 24 television stations
were present in the Camp Nou today. More than 200 media representatives! It was one of the biggest
media events the club had ever seen with representatives from England, France, Italy, Brazil,
Mexico, Sweden, Japan and many other countries.