France names Barthez as goalkeeper coach under Zidane

France head coach Zinedine Zidane has reunited with former teammate Fabien Barthez after the 1998 World Cup winner was appointed the national team's new goalkeeper coach. The French Football Federation announced the initial staff list on Thursday, August 13, confirming Barthez's role as part of Zidane's backroom team. Zidane, who was named France coach on a four-year contract on July 28, is assembling his staff as he prepares for his tenure with Les Bleus, replacing Didier Deschamps who led the team to the 2026 World Cup.

Zidane and Barthez were key members of the France team that won the 1998 FIFA World Cup on home soil. The pair also played together when France lifted the European Championship two years later in 2000. Their reunion brings together two members of one of the most successful generations in French football history. Barthez earned 87 international caps for France and remained the team's first-choice goalkeeper during several major tournaments. His final appearance for the national team came in the 2006 World Cup final against Italy, a match remembered for Zidane's extra-time dismissal after he headbutted Italy defender Marco Materazzi. Barthez, 55, went on to...