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Emmanuel Petit has apologised for the controversial comments he made suggesting Thierry Henry would be more appreciated in France if his native country had been invaded by Germany. Petit caused outrage when he said his former Arsenal and Les Bleus teammate, who scored a record 51 goals in 123 international appearances, would enjoy a far better reputation among his compatriots "if we had been invaded by the Germans." The ex-Chelsea midfielder was replying to a question about whether Henry, who is considering his future after the expiry of his contract with New York Red Bulls this month, should be given the opportunity to play for France in March's friendly with Brazil in order to give the striker a fitting finale to his international career. Henry's last appearance for Les Bleus came during the catastrophic 2010 World Cup, which was marred by the France squad's infamous strike, while the French Football Federation failed to support the striker as he was buffeted by the media storm following his deliberate handball in the build-up to the playoff goal that sent France to the tournament at the expense of Republic of Ireland. Petit told sport365 he had been "stupid" to make the reference, but reiterated his belief that Henry is not fully appreciated back home. "I apologise. The historical reference was stupid. I apologise to the Jewish people, but also to those who were in the war," he said. "My reference was wrong. Things have to be put in context. I was asked about the possibility of giving Thierry Henry an honourable exit in a prestigious game. "I found that unfounded, because it was the same people who vilified Thierry Henry for years, and did not give him the status he deserved. For me, he is the best striker in the history of French football."
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