French striker Zidane is best player ever

Dubai: Fabien Barthez was not only one of the greatest and most eccentric goalkeepers of the late 1990s, but his name had become synonymous with French football.

Barthez is remembered not just for the brilliant saves he pulled off during his 12-year-long career, but also for the many times he drew the wrath of fans, both his and those of his rivals.

But despite the ups and downs in a colourful international and club career, Barthez conquered not just the imagination of the footballing world, but also some of the biggest trophies in the sport.

He won the 1998 World Cup with France and then clinched victory in the 2000 European Championships.

The 38-year-old has also played for some of Europe's top clubs including AS Monaco, Manchester United and Marseille.

He won Europe's top club competition, the Champions League, with Monaco in 1993 and two Premier League titles — 2001 and 2003 — during his four-year stint at United.

One of his biggest eccentricities includes his head-kissing ritual with ex-France defender Laurent Blanc, who joined him for short at Manchester.

Barthez spoke to Gulf News about his past, present and future.

What have you been doing these days?

I have been training goalkeepers of the French team for over a year; I'm managing and coaching them. Besides football I've also been competing in French GT racing. I'm not really thinking about coaching full-time, but I'd like to do something in an advisory position.

Do you see yourself making a competitive comeback? You're just 38 years and goalkeepers probably do have a few years more…

I stopped playing three years ago, so physically it will be very hard for me to come back to playing football. I don't mind playing in charity and exhibition matches, but not in professional football. Professional football is too hard on the body for me now.

How was it working with Sir Alex Ferguson at United?

I've learnt so much about football from Sir Alex Ferguson. He knows his football by heart, but he loves his players and he cares for them and really looks after them and this makes him a very good manager. He maintains team spirit and ensures that there is unity and a kind of bonding.

What was the highlight of your time at United?

I can't really pick something and say that this is a highlight; the whole experience at Manchester United was a special one for me. I really enjoyed playing for the club and feel I was privileged to be picked to play for the club.

France are in a tough spot qualifying for the 2010 World Cup. How do you compare this team with the one that won the 1998 tournament?

It's very hard to compare this team with the one that won the 1998 World Cup. The average age of that team was around 28, whereas the current team is young and with an average age of 22 or 23, so it's hard to compare the two.

But in my opinion France is building a team for the future for the next four to eight years. The current team is young and very inexperienced but with time they have the potential of becoming a good side.

So is there something wrong with the current French setup?

No. It's just that they lack experience. They are learning and improving and it is too early to say how far they will go. They must qualify for the World Cup first and then take the big step later.

Who according to you is the best player in the world?

Zizou [Zinedine Zidane] was the best player ever because he not only played football, but he had fun while he was on the pitch. We have always been great friends and when we played the first World Cup [in 1998], we were just having fun.

Anything you do in life... if you have fun while doing it you're going to enjoy it and succeed and reach a higher level. It was that way with the French team [when we won the World Cup in 1998]. It is the same case for me in motorsport, if I didn't like driving I would never enjoy racing.

What if a UAE club approached you to play here for a year or so?

You never know what can happen. Anything can happen in life. It's fantastic here, so why not!