Struggling at Marseille, Restes and Barthez's goalkeeper choices questioned

Guillaume Restes delivered a concerning display Sunday evening at the Vélodrome, where Toulouse fell 2-0 to Marseille, reviving questions about Fabien Barthez’s role in selecting France’s goalkeepers under Zinédine Zidane.

The 21-year-old Toulouse goalkeeper was helpless on Amine Harit’s opening goal in the 2nd minute, a right-footed strike from 20 metres, then on Amine Gouiri’s second goal (25th), a curling shot. This performance follows an already unconvincing display in Monaco-Toulouse’s 2-2 draw. His club manager, Jens Askou, asks him to actively participate in build-up play by coming out of his box, a demand that seems to weaken him in his defensive interventions.

On RMC, pundit Walid Acherchour was blunt after the match: “On the first goal and on Abdelli, every time he’s in the opposing box, there’s nobody in goal every time. I think he’s a goalkeeper with a lot of flaws. And thanks Fabien Barthez for the selection.”

Because it is indeed Barthez who is at the heart of the matter. Goalkeeper coach for Zidane’s France team — he is currently working on his coaching diploma — the 1998 World Cup winner does not simply prepare the keepers at training: he personally selected the three goalkeepers for the first Blues gathering and established their hierarchy. He also gives instructions to substitute goalkeepers during matches. Restes’s presence in the squad is thus directly linked to Barthez’s time at Toulouse FC during the 2020-2021 season, when Barthez was already working with the club’s goalkeepers.

Restes made his international debut in the fourth Nations League match against Belgium (4-1) on October 5 at the Stade de France. He was called up from the start by Zidane alongside Mike Maignan and Robin Risser, the latter withdrawing and being replaced by Jean Butez, the Como goalkeeper.

The goalkeeper hierarchy will be scrutinized during the Blues’ next two Nations League matches, against Italy on November 12 and Turkey on November 15, to conclude the group stage.