Zidane rounds out France coaching staff, taps Barthez as goalkeeping coach

The old partnership that once lifted a World Cup trophy is teaming up again, this time on the other side of the touchline. Zinedine Zidane introduced Fabien Barthez on Thursday as the new goalkeeping coach for the France national team, and with that announcement, the coaching staff that will accompany the new manager in this new chapter is now complete.

Zidane was confirmed as head coach of the Bleus last month on a four-year contract, and it was clear from the start that he'd surround himself with people he trusts deeply. Barthez fits that mold perfectly: he's not just any former goalkeeper, he's one of the men who stood alongside Zidane during the national team's finest days.

Together they won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000, the two tournaments that defined French football's golden era. Barthez, 55, made 87 appearances for France, and his farewell with the national team was no ordinary occasion: it came in the 2006 World Cup final, the same night Zidane was sent off in extra time for his headbutt on Marco Materazzi. Two careers that crossed paths at the highest peaks, and also in one of the most talked about moments for entirely different reasons.

As a player, Barthez came through Toulouse, Olympique de Marseille, Manchester United and Monaco, building a reputation as a daring goalkeeper, the kind who liked to play with his feet long before that became fashionable. That profile, combined with the trust Zidane has in him, appears to have tipped the scales in this decision.

Bettoni, the other key piece

Barthez's appointment came on the same day the rest of the coaching setup was revealed. Zidane chose David Bettoni as his assistant, a name that surprises no one who has followed his coaching career closely. Bettoni was Zidane's right hand man at Real Madrid, where the club won three straight Champions League titles between 2016 and 2018. Repeating that same formula built on trust seems to be the underlying idea here.

With the coaching staff now set, the next step is purely on the field. France travels to Turkey on September 25 for the Nations League and plays in Belgium three days later. That's where we'll really start to see how solid this new project is, one that Zidane has built with familiar faces from his own history.