Thierry Henry (foto: Getty Images)
Sky Sports deleted Thierry Henry’s controversial joke about Leny Yoro following complaints that the Arsenal legend had mocked the young defender.
Sky Sports has removed a Thierry Henry analysis clip from its platforms after it sparked outrage among Manchester United fans. The incident occurred during Monday Night Football when Henry critiqued young centre-back Leny Yoro, following Newcastle's 4-1 win over United.
Henry reacted to Harvey Barnes’ third goal for Newcastle by mocking Yoro’s reaction on the pitch. The 19-year-old had looked toward the assistant referee during the play, which Henry reenacted in the studio, saying: "I don’t know what he’s looking at. He’s looking at the linesman, but I don’t know why. Maybe he thought it was offside? I don’t know. We all know it’s a goal – what are you looking at?"
Henry’s imitation of Yoro was met with widespread criticism on social media. Fans accused the French legend of using the teenager as a punchline to go viral. One fan wrote: "Putting a young man down just to be funny. Pathetic." Another commented: "If Yoro played for Fulham, they wouldn't even do something like this."
After mounting backlash, Sky Sports removed the video from all their official accounts. However, a photo from the segment remains online, featuring Henry’s pose alongside the caption: "When you hear someone opening a bag of crisps."
Despite the intended humor, many believe the segment crossed a line, particularly given Yoro’s age and inexperience at the top level. Neither Sky Sports nor Henry has publicly commented on the removal of the video.