France's Barthez appointment as goalkeeping coach sparks debate over experience

Fabien Barthez, a legendary figure in French football and the "Divine Bald" of the 1998 World Cup-winning squad, is poised to take on a new role as the goalkeeping coach for the French national team. This highly anticipated return to the Bleus brings a celebrated champion back into the fold, but his appointment is already sparking debate.

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The future coach of the Blues will install the 1998 world champion as goalkeeping coach.

The core of the concern lies in Barthez's coaching resume. At 54, the former goalkeeper, despite his illustrious playing career, possesses minimal experience in a head goalkeeping coaching capacity at the elite level. His post-playing career has been sporadic, including a brief stint as a technical advisor for goalkeepers under Laurent Blanc in 2012, a period as general manager for Luzenac (2013-2014), and a consultancy role with Toulouse FC (2020-2021). While some former colleagues recall his time at TFC positively, the overall experience is considered limited.

This lack of extensive coaching background stands in stark contrast to his predecessor, Franck Raviot. Raviot, who served under Didier Deschamps, boasts a decade of experience with the French U21 goalkeepers and holds several official coaching certifications, including a goalkeeper coach certificate. He also contributes to goalkeeper training at the prestigious INF Clairefontaine academy.

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A strong choice, as Fabien Barthez has only limited experience in management.

While Barthez's immense experience as a world-class player undoubtedly offers invaluable insight into the demands of top-level goalkeeping, the ability to translate that lived experience into daily, effective coaching for international players remains a question. The French Football Federation (FFF) has not officially detailed Barthez's coaching qualifications, leaving ambiguity around his formal certifications for the role, though it is not confirmed he lacks them. The FFF has not yet commented on the specifics of Barthez's qualifications for the role.

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The 'Divine Bald' will now change his costume, a prestigious outfit that still needs tailoring because the Ariégeois has very limited experience before taking up his new duties.