Fabien Barthez

At 53 years old, Fabien Barthez has this physical status:

Fabien Alain Barthez (born 28 June 1971) is a French racing ner and former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He played for France and England, as well as Montpellier, AS Monaco, Manchester United, and Nantes. He fought for France's national team, UEFA Euro 2000, 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup, and the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup, defending his country at three editions of both the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Championship, after which he retired from international football.

Barthez, nicknamed "Le Divin Chauve ("The Divine Bald One"), is France's most capped player in the FIFA World Cup, with 17 appearances at the finals and ten of the most World Cup finals clean sheets with Peter Shilton. He earned the UEFA Champions League with Olympique Marseille in 1993, as well as several Ligue 1 and Premier League titles. Barthez started working in motorsport in 2008.

Early life

Barthez was born in Lavelanet, Ariège, in Lavelanet, France.

Personal life

He is a Zen Buddhist monk. Barthez was known for his youthful dating life and dated Canadian model Linda Evangelista throughout his career. She was pregnant at the time, but six months into the pregnancy, she miscarried. The couple split up in 2000, reunited in 2001, and then officially ended their relationship in 2002. Barthez is a smoker. Barthez wore red briefs under his goalkeeping shorts and invariably cut off the sleeves of his goalkeeping jersey, owing to his eccentric and superstitious demeanor. Although most starting goalkeepers are usually given the number one shirt, he instead chose the number 16 shirt.

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Club career

Barthez made his first division debut against Toulouse on September 21, 1991, against Nancy. In a 1–0 victory over A.C. Milan in the second round of the last season, he joined Marseille in 1992 and won both the French championship and the Champions League at the end of his first season in Marseille. He became the youngest goalkeeper to win a Champions League title until Iker Casillas did so in 2000.

Marseille, on the other hand, would be barred from their domestic title, but not of the Champions League crown, as a result of their involvement in a domestic match fixing scandal, and a year later (1994) will face a forced relegation to the second division due to a similar financial hardship. Despite numerous offers from top French clubs, including Marseille, helping Marseille win the championship and then promotion to the first division, he remained with the club in Division 2 for the 1994-95 season.

Barthez debuted in 1995 and 1996 as a champion of Ligue 1 in Argentina and 2000. After a 1–1 draw at Old Trafford, he also played in Jean Tigana's talented Monaco team, who notably left his future club Manchester United out of the Champions League in 1998 on away goals.

Ferguson's goalkeeper Mark Bosnich was a long-term replacement as a result of Barthez's success in the World Cup and Euros, as Ferguson was looking for a new goalkeeper to replace the recently fired Peter Schmeichel. In 2000, Barthez joined United for £7.8 million. He was later reunited with national teammate Laurent Blanc, who joined United in 2001. At the start of Champions League matches, the Barthez-Blanc head-kissing ritual was on display.

Barthez, who is best known for his eccentricity, made a good debut for Manchester United. His first season was a success, as he answered all of the questions about how he would cope with rainy Manchester in comparison to sunny Monaco. Barthez was an audience favorite throughout the season and became a crowd favorite. The fans adored his eccentricity, his dribbles, and step-overs past opponents, as well as his incredible reaction. United's crucial saves kept United from losing or losing valuable points, helping United defeat the 2000-2001 FA Premier League crown, their third in a row.

In March 2001, Manchester United defeated Leeds United in a memorable match. Barthez deliberately kicked out with his foot at Ian Harte, who collapsed to the ground on the edge of a six yard box, and Leeds was given a point penalty after losing a cross. Harte stepped up, but Barthez made a poor, one-handed save to his right. Di Canio's failed attempt at "psyching out" West Ham United's Paolo Di Canio in the FA Cup Fourth Round was the only blemish in his first season; Barthez stayed up waiting for the referee to blow his whistle, or Di Canio to stop; Di Canio's failed attempt in his first season. Di Canio continued scoring his only goal of the game, and later said it was "better to score and then see if the goalkeeper is correct or wrong."

For him, the 2001–2002 season was divided into two parts. The first half of the year was tumultuous. The Frenchman seemed to be taking unnecessary risks outside of his penalty zone, and his antics soon had ramifications that resulted in the absence of goals for opposing teams. In a 3–2 home loss to Deportivo de La Corua in October 2001, he was at fault for two goals. Ferguson said how "every time he will get caught out" and that it would not happen again. But Barthez's latest woebblings against Arsenal in a 3-1 loss, the following month, put more emphasis on the team, with two goals attributed to Thierry Henry, one of which came from a missed clearance. Barthez was embroiled in more controversy as he was seen on television cameras raising his middle fingers behind his back against the Arsenal supporters, who had been mocking him for his misdeeds toward the end of the game; referee Peter Jones missed it. Barthez's demise was based on a lot of speculation, and commentators like BBC's Phil McNulty begged him to be dropped. Sir Alex Ferguson, on the other hand, had faith in his goalkeeper and stayed by him. Barthez, on the other hand, resurrects his image in the second half of the season with consistent, solid results, as well as the spectacular saves that he was known for. In a 2–2 draw with Derby County at Pride Park, his turn in fortunes was demonstrated. Malcolm Christie appeared to have won his hat-trick, but referee Steve Dunn disallowed the play, finding that Christie kicked the ball out of Barthez's hands.

He had been known for playing mind games before opposition players took a penalty. This was the first time Leicester City and Old Trafford met in November 2001. Barthez stood aside from the goal and with his hands behind him on the post as Muzzy Izzet was set to take a penalty. Izzet had 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 as Barthez, but Barthez refused him with a fine exception to his right. Barthez was dissatisfied with Fulham's granting of a penalty, went from newspaper to post banging his boots, and denied to be in goal for the penalty in October 2002. Referee Mike Dean had him arrested for his antics, and so he moved between the columns and made it work again by saving Steed Malbranque's spot kick.

United's 2002-03 season brought another Premier League crown to the country. Barthez had a mixed bag this season. United defeated Liverpool 2–1, with one highlight being a spectacular save to deny Dietmar Hamann's 30-yard rocket at Anfield. In other games, he let goals slip by him that he was supposed to save, and he suffered from a string of poor results towards the end of the season. Barthez was also chastised for United's transfer to Real Madrid in the Champions League, particularly for Ronaldo's opener, who beat him at the near post. Sir Alex Ferguson's patience had finally ran out in what would be his last game with United. Barthez was suspended for the final three games of the season, with Roy Carroll taking his place.

Barthez's poor form at the end of the previous season and the arrival of American newcomer Tim Howard in 2003 brought the Frenchman into contention for a starting position at United. Howard played during the club's American tour of the summer, and Ferguson chose him to start over Barthez in the Community Shield in August. Howard had won Barthez's starting goalkeeper's job by October, as a result, United decided to release Barthez from his Old Trafford contract after the 2003–04 season, as well as loaning Barthez out to his former club Marseille for the remainder of the season. Barthez began training with Marseille, which paid for a part of his salary, but FIFA denied the loan contract due to the fact that it was not agreed upon within the international transfer window. After the transfer window reopened on January 1, 2004, the two clubs decided on a loan agreement, Barthez joined Marseille shortly thereafter. Marseille and Barthez agreed to a two-and-a-half year deal, which will keep him at the club until spring 2006.

On February 12, 2005, Barthez was implicated in a scandal during a friendly match between Marseille and Morocco's Wydad Casablanca. A Marseille player was dismissed with ten minutes remaining, and a brawl ensued between players on the pitch. Barthez was charged with spitting on the Moroccan referee. Barthez was summoned to a hearing before the French Football Federation's executive committee on April 21; the following day, he was banned for six months, with the last three months suspended. The FFF's federal council ruled against the dismissal, arguing that the term should have been suspended for at least six months. His term was eventually extended to six months due to political reasons.

Barthez said on August 8, 2006, he was still hoping to play professionally for another two years, but that he was also determined to continue his career in France's international system. His dream scenario would have been a return to first club Toulouse, where he may be close enough to allow him to care for his sick mother. But he said that if he did not have a club by August 31, he would not continue playing football. It was announced on October 5th, 2006, that he had withdrawn from football after struggling to find a return to Toulouse. "The only club I wanted to attend was not so keen to have me," Barthez said. It's normal, and you have to live with it."

Barthez returned to football on December 17th by signing a new deal with Nantes, who were in need of a good goalkeeper after Mickal Landreau's transfer to Paris Saint-Germain the previous summer. After a rift in the squad, Serbian goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovi, originally hired to replace Landreau, failed to impress and left Nantes at the winter break.

Following an altercation with a Nantes fan, Nantes chairman Rudi Roussillon announced that Barthez and his family had left the city on Friday. Barthez said he had left the team and that his deal had been terminated the following day. Barthez denied that he was planning to quit, but he said in a piece for French daily L'Équipe that he was looking for a new job for at least two years. Barthez had been associated with a number of clubs before, but nothing ever came true, and he was forced to face never playing professional football again.

Barthez was the honorary president of Championnat National Team Luzenac in 2012, where he personally picked Quentin Westberg and Nicolas Dieuze to sign for the team.

International career

Barthez earned his first cap for France on May 26, 1994, beating Australia 1–0. Barthez was understudy to Bernard Lama at UEFA Euro 1996, during which France reached the semi-finals, but he was banned for two months as a result. Barthez obtained the number one goalkeeping job shortly after the tournament, but did not relinquish it for a decade following a postponement of a later suspension to Lama.

Barthez lost two goals in seven games and received the Yashin Award as the tournament's best goalkeeper of the year, second behind José Luis Chilavert in the 1998 FIFA World Cup, which was hosted by his home country. Barthez was also known during the tournament for allowing teammate and good friend Laurent Blanc to shave his head before every match, presumably for good luck. Barthez was instrumental in his country's debut, which also marked the first time in 20 years that a host had won the World Cup for the first time in 20 years. He kept five clean sheets through the tournament, with the only goals he conceded being a penalty against Denmark in the group stage and another against Croatia in the semi-finals. He kept a clean sheet and saved Demetrio Albertini's penalty kick in the quarter-final shootout loss to Italy. In the final, he kept another clean sheet, leading to a 3–0 victory over defending champions Brazil. Barthez was also at the center of a memorable game when rushing out and preparing to greet Brazilian superstar Ronaldo, doing his signature leap/step-over the attacking striker to grab the ball; Barthez later said he never intended to hurt the striker. Barthez was one of France's most popular national players after France's World Cup victory, after Zinedine Zidane.

Barthez was back in the beginning of his country's Euro 2000 triumph as the starter. It was the first time a national team had both the World Cup and Euro titles in 26 years, a feat that West Germany defeated in 1974. France held the top spot in the FIFA World Rankings from 2001 to 2002, following that triumph.

Barthez was on France's World Cup team again in 2002, when the team failed in the first round without winning a game or scoring a goal; he kept his only clean sheet of the tournament in his country's second group match, a 0–0 draw against Uruguay. He was also his country's starting keeper during his 2004 debut in the Confederations Cup, and in the latter tournament, he saved David Beckham's penalty shot in the first round robin match, but France lost in the quarterfinals to eventual winners Greece, but not in the quarter-finals.

His selection as starting goalkeeper in France's 2006 World Cup campaign in the face of a massive public push in favour of Grégory Coupet was surprising, even more so given Coupet's outstanding results in the remainder of the World Cup qualifying campaign after Barthez's suspension. The decision was met with indignation in the French press and culminated in Coupet's departure from the national squad before the tournament, though he would return one day later. Some observers were concerned that the move was to keep the veterans of France's 1998 World Cup victory on the team. Barthez may have walked out of the squad if he had not been named starter, according to L'Equipe after the World Cup.

France got off to a rocky start in the group stage, losing their first two games and putting their hopes of making the knock-out stages in jeopardy. Barthez's crew returned to form and triumphed their final round robin match 2–0, where they defeated heavily favoured Spain 3–1 in the round of 16.

Barthez, the first keeper to blank the Brazilian team in consecutive World Cup finals matches since losing 1–0 to Brazil on July 1, 2006, becoming the first keeper to blank the Brazilian team in consecutive World Cup finals matches (2003–0). 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, the first to have done it in consecutive matches, with Barthez in goal.

Barthez kept another clean sheet in the semi-final against Portugal, his fourth of the tournament, although he did not appear in good form. Luis Figo recovered after a few minutes from time, bursting a free-kick and heading across the bar unchallenged. He did, however, recover after a French defender fumbled the ball, enabling a Portuguese player to mount a last-moment attack. Barthez was scrambling out of the net and blocked the first shot.

After Zidane's dismissal, he briefly captained his team for the remainder of the second period of extra time in the final against Italy. Neither he nor his Italian counterpart Gianluigi Buffon made a save, and France striker David Trezeguet's missed shot was ultimately decisive. This was Barthez's 87th international appearance and final international appearance after the tournament.

Motorsport career

Barthez began a career in motorsport in 2008. He began competing in select events in the Porsche Carrera Cup France that year with the company SOFREV Auto Sport Promotions. He has also appeared in two THP Spider Cup events. In 2009, he competed in a number of motorsport series, including the French GT Championship, Bioracing Series, and the Caterham Sigma Cup France, as well as the Porsche Carrera Cup France. In 2010, he began racing in the FFSA GT Championship for the first time, winning his first podium appearance in race 1 at Dijon-Prenois. He won his first race in the FFSA series at the Circuito de Navarra in race two and finished seventh in the championship in 2012. He was named French GT Champion alongside Morgan Moullin-Traffort in 2013 and he was driving a Ferrari.

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

Barthez will compete in the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans race, led by Sofrev ASP's Ferrari 458, which was revealed in February 2014. Barthez and his co-drivers finished 29th overall and ninth in the LMGTE Am class, placing ninth overall and ninth.

Coaching career

Barthez was named as one of the team's technical experts as a goalkeeping coach on July 2, 2010, following Laurent Blanc's appointment as the new head of the French national team.

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