Fabien Barthez, the 55-year-old former goalkeeper, has been appointed to lead the goalkeepers for the French national team. The move marks a reunion for Barthez and Zinedine Zidane, who were teammates during France’s successful 1998 World Cup campaign on home soil. Barthez, who enjoyed a distinguished playing career with Toulouse, Monaco, Marseille, and Manchester United, previously served as a consultant for the national team under coaches Raymond Domenech and Laurent Blanc. He did not hold a position during the 14-year tenure of Didier Deschamps and most recently served a brief stint on the Toulouse coaching staff between 2020 and 2021.
The French Football Federation (FFF) also confirmed several additional appointments to support the new coaching structure. David Bettoni and Hamidou Msaidie have been named assistant coaches; both are long-time associates of Zidane who worked with him during his two separate tenures at Real Madrid. Furthermore, Gregory Dupont joins the staff as the "Strategy and Performance Advisor," bringing his previous experience from working alongside Zidane in Madrid.
Zidane, 54, was officially appointed on July 28 to take over from his former teammate Deschamps following France's exit in the World Cup semi-finals. He is scheduled to lead his first training camp in September. The team’s first competitive fixture under the new management will be a Nations League match against Turkey, set to take place away on September 25.
