Fabien Barthez

Fabien Barthez

Barthez with Olympique de Marseille in 2006
Personal information
Full name	Fabien Alain Barthez
Date of birth	28 June 1971
Place of birth	Lavelanet, France
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Youth career
1986–1990	Toulouse
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1990–1992	Toulouse	26	(0)
1992–1995	Marseille	106	(0)
1995–2000	Monaco	143	(0)
2000–2004	Manchester United	92	(0)
2003–2004	→ Marseille (loan)	20	(0)
2004–2006	Marseille	54	(0)
2006–2007	Nantes	14	(0)
Total		455	(0)
National team
1994–2006	France	87	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Fabien Alain Barthez^[1] (French pronunciation: ​[fa.bjɛ̃ baʁ.tɛz]; born 28 June 1971)^[1] is a retired French footballer who played as a goalkeeper with Toulouse, Marseille, AS Monaco, Manchester United, Nantes and the France national team, with whom he won the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000, and reached the final of the 2006 World Cup. He shares the record for the most World Cup finals clean sheets with Peter Shilton, with ten. In club football, he won the UEFA Champions League as well as several Ligue 1 and Premier League titles.

Club career

Marseille

Born in Lavelanet, France, Barthez made his first division debut for Toulouse on 21 September 1991, against Nancy. He joined Marseille in 1992, and won both the French championship and the Champions League at the end of his first season in Marseille. The 1993 victory made him the youngest goalkeeper to win a Champions League title until Iker Casillas did so in 2000.

Marseille, however, would be stripped of their domestic title, though not of the Champions League crown, due to their involvement in a domestic match fixing scandal, and a year later (1994) would suffer a forced relegation to the second division due to a related financial bankruptcy. He stayed with the club in Division 2 for the 1994–95 season despite many offers from elite French clubs.^[2]

Monaco

In 1995, Barthez joined AS Monaco and won Ligue 1 titles in 1997 and 2000. He also played in Jean Tigana's talented Monaco side which famously put his future club Manchester United out of the Champions League in 1998 on away goals after a 1–1 draw at Old Trafford.^[3]

Manchester United

As a result of Barthez's success in the World Cup and the Euros, he caught the attention of Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who was searching for a star goalkeeper to replace the recently departed Peter Schmeichel, as Ferguson did not think that the previous season's goalkeeper, Mark Bosnich, was a long-term replacement. Barthez joined United for £7.8 million in 2000.^[4] He was later reunited with national teammate Laurent Blanc, who joined United in 2001.^[5] The Barthez–Blanc head-kissing ritual was performed at the start of Champions League matches.

Well known for being eccentric,^[6] Barthez started out well for Manchester United. His first season was a triumph as he answered all the questions about how he would handle rainy Manchester compared to sunny Monaco. Barthez performed brilliantly throughout the season and became a crowd favourite. The fans loved his eccentric behaviour, his taunting dribbles and step-overs past opposing strikers, and most importantly, his remarkable reaction saves. Very often it was critical saves that kept United from defeat or dropping valuable points, helping United to the 2000–01 FA Premier League title, their third in a row.

A memorable incident happened when Manchester United faced Leeds United in March 2001. Barthez deliberately kicked out with his foot at Ian Harte, who fell to the ground on the edge of six yard box, and the referee awarded a penalty to Leeds. Harte stepped up but Barthez made a low, one-handed save to his right.^[7] The only blemish in his first season was his failed attempt at "psyching out" West Ham United's Paolo Di Canio in the FA Cup Fourth Round; Di Canio beat the offside trap, while Barthez stood still with his hand up expecting the referee to blow his whistle, or Di Canio to stop.^[8] Di Canio continued and scored the only goal of the game,^[9][10] and later said it was "better to score and then see whether the goalkeeper is right or wrong".^[11]

The 2001–02 season was split into two parts for him. The first half was a nightmare. The Frenchman seemed to be taking some unnecessary risks outside his penalty area, and his antics began to have consequences that allowed unneeded goals for opposing teams. He was at fault for two goals in a 3–2 home defeat by Deportivo de La Coruña in October 2001.^[12] Ferguson said how "eventually he will get caught out" and it wouldn't happen again.^[13] But another couple of late errors against Arsenal in a 3–1 defeat at Highbury the following month put much pressure on Barthez, with two goals gifted to Thierry Henry.^[14] There was much speculation as to what was the source of Barthez's decline, and critics such as the BBC's Phil McNulty urged him to be dropped.^[15] Sir Alex Ferguson, however, had faith in his goalkeeper and stuck by him. Consequently, in the second half of the season, Barthez repaired his reputation with consistent, solid performances and the spectacular saves that he was famous for. His turn in fortunes was shown in a 2–2 draw with Derby County at Pride Park. Derby forward Malcolm Christie looked to have sealed his hat-trick, but referee Steve Dunn controversially disallowed the goal, ruling that kicked the ball out of Barthez's hands.^[16]

He was also noted for playing mind games before opposition players took a penalty. The first time this occurred was in November 2001 when Leicester City came to Old Trafford. As Muzzy Izzet prepared to take a penalty, Barthez stood aside from the goal, with his hands behind him on the post.^[17] Izzet, tired of waiting, slotted the ball in the bottom corner, but referee Andy D'Urso made him retake the penalty, this time with Barthez in goal. Izzet went the same way, but Barthez denied him with a fine save to his right.^[18] An almost identical incident happened less than a year later in October 2002, when Barthez was unhappy about the awarding of a penalty to Fulham, and so went from post to post banging his boots, and refused to be in goal for the penalty. This time he was booked for his antics by referee Mike Dean, and so he then he took his place between the posts and made it work again by saving Steed Malbranque's spot kick.^[19]

The 2002–03 season ended with another Premier League crown for United. The season was a mixed bag for Barthez. One highlight was a fabulous save to deny Dietmar Hamann's 30-yard rocket at Anfield against Liverpool, as United held on to win 2–1. In other games, he let goals go past him that shouldn't have. Barthez was also widely criticized in United's exit to Real Madrid in the Champions League, especially for Ronaldo's opener which beat him at the near post.^[20] It would prove to be his last ever game with United as Sir Alex Ferguson's patience had finally run out. Barthez was dropped for the final three games of the season, with Roy Carroll taking his place.

Return to Marseille

In October 2003, after American newcomer Tim Howard won the starting goalkeeper's job from Barthez, United agreed to release Barthez from his contract at Old Trafford after the 2003–04 season, and also agreed to loan Barthez out to Marseille for the remainder of that season. FIFA, however, blocked the loan deal on the grounds that it was not agreed upon within the international transfer window. The two clubs agreed on a loan deal after the transfer window reopened on 1 January 2004, and Barthez joined Marseille soon afterwards. On 27 April, Marseille and Barthez agreed to a two-and-a-half-year contract which would keep him at the club until spring 2006.

Barthez was involved in a controversy during a friendly match between Marseille and Morocco's Wydad Casablanca on 12 February 2005.^[21] With ten minutes left, a Marseille player was sent off and a brawl erupted between players on the pitch. Barthez was reported for spitting on the Moroccan referee. On 21 April, Barthez was summoned to a hearing before the disciplinary committee of the French Football Federation (FFF); the following day, he received a six-month suspension, with the last three months being suspended. In an unusual move, the federal council of the FFF appealed the suspension, arguing that the punishment should have been for a minimum of six full months. Eventually, his suspension was extended to six full months due to political pressures.

Retirement

On 8 August 2006, Barthez announced he was still hoping to play professional football for another two years, insisting he was also looking to continue his career in the French international setup. His ideal scenario would have been a return to first club Toulouse, where he could be close enough to allow him to take care of his sick mother. But he said if he did not have a club by 31 August he would not carry on with football. On 5 October 2006, it was confirmed that he had retired from football, having failed to agree a return to Toulouse. Barthez commented, "The only club I wanted to go to was not so happy to have me. It happens and you have to live with it."^[22]

Comeback

Barthez playing for Nantes against St. Etienne in 2006.

On 17 December 2006, Barthez announced his return to football by signing a contract with Ligue 1 side Nantes,^[23] who were lacking an experienced goalkeeper following Mickaël Landreau's move to Paris Saint-Germain the previous summer. Serbian goalkeeper Vladimir Stojković, originally recruited to replace Landreau, failed to impress and left Nantes at the winter break following a rift within the squad.

On 29 April, Nantes chairman Rudi Roussillon announced that following an altercation with a Nantes fan, Barthez had left the city with his family. The next day, Barthez confirmed that he had quit the team,^[24] and the club terminated his contract. Barthez denied that he was planning to retire, and in an article for French daily L'Équipe, he said that he was looking for another contract for at least two years. Since then, Barthez has been linked with numerous clubs but nothing has ever materialised and he had to face never playing professional football again.

Luzenac

In 2012, Barthez became the honorary president of Championnat National team Luzenac, where he personally picked Quentin Westberg and Nicolas Dieuze to sign for the club.^[25]

International career

Early international career

On 26 May 1994, Barthez won his first cap for France against Australia. Though Barthez was understudy to Bernard Lama at UEFA Euro 1996 – at which France reached the semi-finals – he gained the number one goalkeeping position shortly afterwards and would not relinquish it for a decade.

1998 World Cup

In the 1998 FIFA World Cup, which was hosted by his home country, Barthez conceded only two goals in seven games and won the Yashin Award as the best goalkeeper of the tournament.^[26] Barthez was also well known during the tournament for letting teammate and good friend Laurent Blanc kiss his shaved head before the start of every match, supposedly for good luck. Barthez was an integral part of his national team's inaugural triumph which also made it the first time in 20 years that a host had won the World Cup; the highlight being a 3–0 clean sheet against defending champions Brazil in the finals. During the game, Barthez made a spectacular save on Brazilian superstar Ronaldo, doing his trademark leap/step-over the attacking striker to grab the ball, which injured Ronaldo in the process. Barthez was afterwards one of the most popular national players in France, second to Zinedine Zidane.

Euro 2000

Two years later, Barthez was again the starter as his country won Euro 2000. It was the first time in over 20 years that a national team held both the World Cup and Euro titles, a feat last accomplished by West Germany in 1974. After that triumph, France held the top position in the FIFA World Rankings system from 2001 to 2002.

2002 World Cup and Euro 2004

Barthez played on France's World Cup team again in 2002 in which they exited in the first round without winning a game or scoring a goal. He was also the starter in Euro 2004, saving David Beckham's penalty shot in the round robin, but France went out in the quarter-finals to eventual winners Greece.

2006 World Cup

His place as starting goalkeeper in France's 2006 World Cup campaign, in the face of a substantial public campaign in support of Grégory Coupet, was surprising to many, even more so given Coupet's flawless performance in the remainder of the World Cup qualifying campaign after Barthez's suspension. The decision was met with derision in the French press and also led to Coupet's walking out of the national squad before the tournament, though he was to return one day later. The move was viewed by some as a desire to keep the veterans of France's 1998 World Cup victory on the team. L'Equipe reported after the World Cup that Barthez would have walked out of the squad had he not been named the starter.

France had a slow start in the group stage, drawing their first two games and putting their playoff chances at risk. Fortunately, Barthez's team found their form and won their final round robin match 2–0 to advance to the next stage, where they upset heavily favoured Spain 3–1 in the round of 16.

In defeating Brazil, 1–0 on 1 July 2006, Barthez, having made only one save in the game, became the first keeper to blank the Brazilian team in consecutive World Cup finals matches, the first being the 1998 final (3–0). France is now one of only four nations (along with Italy, Argentina and the Netherlands) to have shut Brazil out twice in the World Cup finals, and the first to have done it in consecutive matches, both times with Barthez in goal.

Barthez again kept a clean sheet in the semi-final against Portugal (with Zinedine Zidane's penalty shot the winning goal), though he appeared in questionable form. A few minutes from time, he spectacularly spilled a free-kick which Luís Figo recovered, heading over the bar although unchallenged. He did, however, redeem himself in injury time when a French defender fumbled the ball, enabling a Portuguese player to mount a last-moment attack. Barthez scrambled out of the net and blocked the first shot.

During the final against Italy, he briefly captained his team for the remainder of the second period of extra time after Zidane was sent off. During the penalty shootout, neither he nor his Italian counterpart Gianluigi Buffon made a save, and France striker David Trezeguet's missed shot ultimately proved decisive.

Motorsport career

After retiring from football in 2007, Barthez began a career in motorsport in 2008. He began competing at selected events in the Porsche Carrera Cup France that year with the team SOFREV Auto Sport Promotion. He also competed at two events in the THP Spider Cup. In 2009, he raced in a number of various motorsport series such as the French GT Championship, Bioracing Series and the Caterham Sigma Cup France as well as the Porsche Carrera Cup France. He continued to race in the FFSA GT Championship in 2010 and picked up his first podium in race 1 at Dijon-Prenois. In the 2012 season, he won his first race in the FFSA series at the Circuito de Navarra in race two and finished seventh in the championship. In 2013, he was crowned French GT Champion alongside Morgan Moullin-Traffort, driving a Ferrari.^[27]

In 2013, he also competed in the newly re-branded FIA GT Series alongside Gérard Tonelli in the Gentleman Trophy class with SOFREV ASP driving a GT3-spec Ferrari 458 Italia.

In February 2014, it was announced that Barthez would be entered into the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans, driving Sofrev ASP's Ferrari 458.^[28] Barthez and his co-drivers finished 29th overall and ninth in LMGTE Am class.

Honours

Club

Marseille

• UEFA Champions League: 1992–93

AS Monaco

• Ligue 1: 1996–97, 1999–2000
• Trophée des champions: 1997

Manchester United

• Premier League: 2000–01, 2002–03

International

• FIFA World Cup: 1998
• UEFA European Championship: 2000
• FIFA Confederations Cup: 2003

Individual

• FIFA World Cup Yashin Award: 1998
• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1998
• Ligue 1 Goalkeeper of the Year: 1998^[29]
• IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper: 2000
• UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament: 2000
• PFA Premier League Team of the Year: 2000–01
• Équipe type spéciale 20 ans des trophées UNFP: 2011
• The Dream Team 110 years of OM: 2010^[30]

Orders

• Chevalier (Knight) of the Légion d'honneur: 1998^[31][32]

Records

• Most-capped France goalkeeper: 87
• All-time France FIFA World Cup appearances: 17
• Most FIFA World Cup clean sheets: 10 (with Peter Shilton)

Statistics

Club	Season	League		Cup		League Cup		Europe		Other[33]		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Toulouse	1990–91	0	0	0	0	–		–		0	0	0	0
	1991–92	26	0	0	0	–		–		0	0	26	0
	Total	26	0	0	0	–		–		0	0	26	0
Marseille	1992–93	30	0	0	0	–		10	0	0	0	40	0
	1993–94	37	0	1	0	–		4	0	0	0	42	0
	1994–95	39	0	0	0	–		–		0	0	39	0
	Total	106	0	1	0	–		14	0	0	0	121	0
Monaco	1995–96	21	0	1	0	–		–		0	0	22	0
	1996–97	36	0	6	0	–		–		0	0	42	0
	1997–98	30	0	12	0	–		10	0	0	0	52	0
	1998–99	32	0	6	0	–		-		0	0	38	0
	1999–2000	24	0	12	0	–		-		0	0	36	0
	Total	143	0	37	0	–		10	0	0	0	190	0
Manchester United	2000–01	30	0	1	0	0	0	12	0	1	0	44	0
	2001–02	32	0	1	0	0	0	15	0	1	0	49	0
	2002–03	30	0	2	0	4	0	10	0	0	0	46	0
	2003–04	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Total	92	0	4	0	4	0	37	0	2	0	139	0
Marseille (loan)	2003–04	20	0	11	0	–		–		0	0	31	0
Marseille	2004–05	30	0	5	0	–		–		0	0	35	0
	2005–06	24	0	12	0	–		–		0	0	36	0
	Total	74	0	28	0	–		–		0	0	102	0
Nantes	2006–07	16	0	0	0	–		–		0	0	16	0
	Total	14	0	0	0	–		–		0	0	14	0
Career total		455	0	70	0	4	0	61	0	2	0	592	0

^[34]

France national team
Year	Apps	Goals
1994	1	0
1995	1	0
1996	2	0
1997	5	0
1998	12	0
1999	8	0
2000	10	0
2001	5	0
2002	9	0
2003	9	0
2004	10	0
2005	3	0
2006	11	0
Total	86	0

Racing record

FIA GT Series results

Year	Class	Team	Car	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Pos.	Points
2013	Gent.	SOFREV Auto Sport Promotion	Ferrari	NOG QR 15	NOG CR 20	ZOL QR	ZOL CR	ZAN QR	ZAN QR	SVK QR	SVK CR	NAV QR	NAV CR	TBA QR	TBA CR	4th	31

24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year	Team	Co-drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
2014	Team Sofrev ASP	Anthony Pons Soheil Ayari	Ferrari 458 Italia GT2	GTE Am	325	29th	9th
2016	Panis-Barthez Compétition	Timothé Buret Paul-Loup Chatin	Ligier JS P2-Nissan	LMP2	347	12th	8th

Complete European Le Mans Series results

Year	Entrant	Class	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	Rank	Points
2016	Panis Barthez Competition	LMP2	Ligier JS P2	Nissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8	SIL 9	IMO 7	RBR	LEC	SPA	EST	13th*	8*

^* Season still in progress.

Notes

1. Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2003). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2003/2004. Queen Anne Press. p. 38. ISBN 978-1-85291-651-0.
2. Dupuis, Maxime (6 October 2006). "Barthez en dix dates". Eurosport.fr. Eurosport. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
3. "Monaco and bust for sorry United". The Independent. 19 March 1998. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
4. "Man Utd confirm Barthez signing". BBC Sport. BBC. 31 May 2000. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
5. "Man Utd seal Blanc deal". BBC Sport. BBC. 30 August 2001. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
6. Lawton, James (27 November 2001). "Fabien Barthez: The goalkeeper's fear of losing it". The Independent. London: Independent Print. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
7. "Barthez survives to save United". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. 3 May 2001. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
8. "Di Canio: Barthez did not fool me". BBC Sport. BBC. 29 January 2001. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
9. "Di Canio sinks Man Utd". BBC Sport. BBC. 28 January 2001. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
10. Lacey, David (29 January 2001). "Di Canio takes his chance". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
11. "Di Canio - Barthez didn't confuse my brain". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. 29 January 2001. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
12. "Champions League: United exposed by Barthez blunders". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. 17 October 2001. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
13. "Champions League: Ferguson gets tough on Barthez". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. 18 October 2001. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
14. "Barthez errors gift Arsenal win". BBC Sport. BBC. 25 November 2001. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
15. "Fabien's follies". BBC Sport. BBC. 26 November 2001. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
16. "Derby thwart Man Utd". BBC Sport. BBC. 3 March 2002. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
17. "Ferguson strikes back". BBC Sport. BBC. 18 November 2001. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
18. "Barthez stunt foxes Izzet". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. 17 November 2001. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
19. "United survive by playing the joker". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. 21 October 2002. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
20. "Ferguson defends decision". BBC Sport. BBC. 24 April 2003. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
21. Da Costa, Philippe (6 October 2006). "Barthez, l'atypique". Eurosport.fr. Eurosport. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
22. "Barthez announces his retirement". BBC Sport. BBC. 5 October 2006. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
23. "Struggling Nantes lure Barthez from retirement". ESPN FC. ESPN Internet Ventures. 16 December 2006. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
24. "Barthez quits Nantes after attack". BBC Sport. BBC. 30 April 2007. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
25. "Fabien Barthez inspires tiny Luzenac to dream big". ESPN. BBC. 15 January 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
26. "1998 FIFA World Cup France". FIFA.com. FIFA. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
27. "Former United star Barthez wins French GT Series". ESPN (UK). 29 October 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
28. Tremayne, Sam (3 June 2014). "Sebastien Loeb gets slot as 2014 Le Mans 24 Hours entry revealed". autosport.com. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
29. http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/franpoy.html
30. "Skoblar dernier joueur de la dream team des 110 ans". OM.net (Olympique de Marseille). 24 April 2010. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
31. "France honors World Cup winners – Government gives Legion of Honor to players, coaches". CNN/SI. 1 September 1998. Retrieved 20 July 2006.
32. "Décret du 24 juillet 1998 portant nomination à titre exceptionnel". JORF. 1998 (170): 11376. 25 July 1998. PREX9801916D. Retrieved 10 March 2009.
33. Includes other competitive competitions, including the FA Community Shield, UEFA Super Cup, Intercontinental Cup, FIFA Club World Cup
34. "Fabien Barthez". National Football Teams. Retrieved 28 April 2011.

External links

• Fabien Barthez on soccerway