Fabien Barthez joins Zidane's new France coaching setup

Paris: In a move to bolster France's national football program, former World Cup-winning goalkeeper Fabien Barthez is set to join Zinedine Zidane's coaching staff, the French Football Federation (FFF) announced on Thursday. The 55-year-old Barthez, who played alongside Zidane during France's 1998 World Cup victory, will oversee the team's goalkeepers.

Zidane, 54, recently took over as France's head coach after Deschamps' departure following their semi-final exit in the 2018 World Cup. Barthez, a former player for Toulouse, Monaco, Marseille, and Manchester United, has previously served as a consultant for the French national team under coaches Raymond Domenech and Laurent Blanc.

He also worked briefly as part of Toulouse's coaching team from 2020 to 2021. The FFF also confirmed other key appointments to the France coaching team, including assistant coaches David Bettoni and Hamidou Msaidie, both close associates of Zidane from his time at Real Madrid. Additionally, Gregory Dupont, appointed as Strategy and Performance Advisor, will work alongside Zidane.

Zidane is scheduled to begin his first training camp with the national team in September, with France's inaugural match under his leadership slated to be a Nations League game against Turkey on September 25.