Zidane’s selective praise vs Barthez’s odd coaching hire

Zinédine Zidane, the legendary number 10 of France’s 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship side, is praised by every former teammate except perhaps Didier Deschamps, while Fabien Barthez, the beloved former goalkeeper, has just been appointed France’s goalkeeper coach despite lacking the required licence.

Zidane’s status as a World Cup and Euro champion is undisputed, and he remains popular with all his old France colleagues. The only notable exception is Didier Deschamps, with whom Zidane has had little contact for years.

The French maestro is close friends with Christophe Dugarry, Laurent Blanc and Alain Boghossian, and he has always enjoyed reunions with Fabien Barthez. Their bond reflects the tight‑knit nature of the 1998‑2000 generation.

Despite this friendship, Zidane did not lavish praise on Barthez when selecting him as the national team’s goalkeeper coach.

Staff composition around the new coach

The staff of Zidane’s successor to “La Dèche” was announced on Thursday, a month before the first squad list of the Marseille native. It is made up of French collaborators Zidane used at Real Madrid: David Bettoni as assistant, Hamidou Msaïdie as assistant coach, Grégory Dupont as strategy and performance adviser for physical preparation, and Stéphane Plancque as opponent observer.

Barthez’s path and qualification issue

Fabien Barthez, a fan favourite since 1998 and known for his good humour and southwestern accent, is determined to hold the goalkeeper‑coach role. He has previously worked with Raymond Domenech and later with Laurent Blanc for France, attended gatherings at Clairefontaine, and coached goalkeepers at Luzenac (where he was sporting director in 2013‑2014) and Toulouse in 2020‑2021, earning praise from Maxime Dupé.

Barthez does not hold the mandatory coaching licence, a fact that seems odd as the French Football Federation fines coaches without the required qualifications. However, he is currently pursuing his football coaching badge, and, as Arthur Perrot of RMC explains, “the sport code is very clear on this matter: if a person has already started this training, they can work for remuneration.”

The contrast between Zidane’s selective appreciation and Barthez’s unconventional appointment highlights how personal ties and regulatory loopholes are shaping the France coaching staff, suggesting that upcoming squad selections may be influenced by these dynamics.