Barthez appointed France goalkeeping coach without completed diploma, Larqué speaks out

Fabien Barthez has officially become the goalkeeping coach of France’s national team under Zinédine Zidane. The appointment of the Bleus legend, 55, is nonetheless controversial: the “Divine Bald One” does not yet possess a formal coaching diploma.

It was Jean-Michel Larqué who fired the first shot. On Tuesday, the veteran pundit said he was enthusiastic about Barthez’s appointment on a human level — “there is no one better,” he declared — before denouncing the signal sent by the French Football Federation. “The example is terrible. The FFF allows itself, at the highest level of our football, not to set an example. Can’t they think for a second? Take an assistant who has diplomas and there will be no problem!” he said.

Regulatory reality, however, nuances the argument. Barthez is currently undergoing training to obtain the Football Coach Diploma, and the Sports Code explicitly authorizes practice within a professional team during this training period. The appointment is therefore compliant with current legislation.

On the experience front, the picture is less blank than it appears. Barthez has already worked with France’s goalkeepers at Clairefontaine under the management of Raymond Domenech and Laurent Blanc. He subsequently worked with the goalkeepers at Luzenac, where he was general director in 2013-2014, then with those at Toulouse FC during the 2020-2021 season. However, he has never held an official position as goalkeeping coach at a professional club.

Zidane, appointed France manager, is thus relying on a staff he has assembled himself, with a Barthez whose sporting legitimacy is difficult to contest — two World Cups and two Champions Leagues on his record — but whose coaching track record remains limited.