Head to the South-West, obviously, to find Fabien Barthez. The “Divine Bald” of the 98 world champions was born in a town in Ariège an hour and a half south of Toulouse. He initially alternated between football and rugby before excelling as a goalkeeper. By moving up to the youth selection of the Midi-Pyrénées League, he was spotted by Elie Baup, then in charge of the TFC goalkeepers. Here he is at the Violets training center at the age of 14!
Nearly 40 years later, “Fabulous Fab”, now 58 years old, is still very attached to the Pink City club. We saw him in 2023 in the stands of the Stadium for a Ligue 1 match alongside his eldest son and the resemblance was striking. Retired since 2007 (and a final stint at FC Nantes), Barthez is in fact based in the Toulouse region with his family (he had two sons with his second wife).
Barthez made another appearance at the Stadium, with his second son, during the Téf match against Stade Rennais (2-2), Wednesday evening for the 10th day of L1. Enough to follow with passion, in the good atmosphere of the Stadium (which is excellent despite Toulouse’s love for the oval ball), the comeback of Toulouse, trailing 2-0 at the hour mark and very close to winning in the final moments after Aron Dönnum’s equalizer in the 85th minute from the penalty spot.
Barthez, from “Divin Bald” to “Fabulous Fab”
A bouncing, modern left-footed goalkeeper, Fabien Barthez was recruited by Bernard Tapie in 1992 and suddenly took the place of Pascal Olmeta, OM’s star goalkeeper, to win the Champions League at the end of his first season! The Ariégois became a reference in French D1 with AS Monaco, as captain, to steal the number 1 place in the French team from Bernard Lama before the 98 World Cup won by the Blues.
He became a legend of French football, also winning Euro 2000 and ending his international career in a World Cup final lost against Italy on penalties in 2006. Manchester United fans will remember his first season of great quality (2000-2001) and the Vélodrome will never forget that Barthez also took the Phocéens, with Didier Drogba, to the final of the UEFA Cup 2004.
