Fabien Barthez is considered by many to be the best goalkeeper in the history of French football. He is undoubtedly the one who displays the most beautiful record. Winner of the Champions League with Olympique de Marseille in 1993, the former Marseillais was then one of the great craftsmen of the two coronations of the Blues at the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000.
His profile however contrasts with modern references. Because while Mike Maignan exceeds 1m90 or Hugo Lloris and Steve Mandanda approached it, Fabien Barthez only displayed 1m80 under the height. Its modest size has often been pointed out in England, much more fond of the 1m93 of Peter Smeichel or 1m97 by Edwin Van der Sar, two legends of Manchester United.
Questioned last weekend about the duel of guards between Yann Sommer and Gianluigi Donnarumma, the native of Lavelanet also took the opportunity to defend the small guards.
“Yann Sommer is living proof that can be measured 1.83 m and have a career at the very high level”he launched.
Fabien Barthez is disgusted
“When I see that kids who are not 1.92m are fired by training centers, it's lamentable, he continued. I heard someone who works at FIFA, recently, who said that if Sommer was ten centimeters more, he would be in the world top 3. But that's not the question at all! The question is: can he be a professional goalkeeper with 1.83m? And is it efficient? The answer is yes. »»
These words are reminiscent of those made two years ago in the columns of Parisian. “I criticize the training for producing in France, as abroad, moreover, formatted and creative guards. We are wrong,
Had he already regretted. For the past four or five years, too many technicians have campaigned for 1.95m guards likely to take up space with the aim. I have nothing against them. Besides, the number 1 in the world is, in my eyes, Thibaut Courtois, who is 2m. »»
“We are making a huge mistake by abandoning on the side of the road, sacrificing, guards of 1.85m or 1.86m, he had added. Let's give luck to talent. I have the sad impression of seeing the same mistakes in the early 2000s reproduce with field players when the young people had to be tall and run quickly. True athletes in short. »»
