Zidane names Barthez goalkeeper coach as France backroom staff is revealed

Zidane assembles France backroom team

The French Football Federation (FFF) announced on Thursday the composition of Zinedine Zidane's coaching staff for the national team, headlined by the appointment of 1998 World Cup-winning goalkeeper Fabien Barthez as goalkeeping coach. Zidane, 54, was named head coach on July 28 on a four-year deal to succeed his former teammate Didier Deschamps, who departed after France lost in the World Cup semi-finals. Zidane will take charge of his first France training camp in September.

Barthez, 55, earned 87 caps for France and was Zidane's teammate when Les Bleus won the 1998 World Cup on home soil and the European Championship in 2000. His last international appearance was the 2006 World Cup final against Italy, the match in which Zidane was sent off in extra time for headbutting defender Marco Materazzi. Both ended their international careers that day.

Barthez's limited coaching résumé

Barthez played for Toulouse, Marseille, Manchester United and Monaco during his club career. His coaching experience is thin: he worked as a consultant for the French national team under coaches Raymond Domenech and Laurent Blanc, but played no role during Deschamps' 14-year tenure from 2012 to 2026. He was briefly part of the Toulouse coaching staff from 2020 to 2021. Le Figaro noted that Barthez lacks a coaching diploma, raising questions about the appointment.

Familiar faces from Madrid

Zidane named David Bettoni as assistant coach. Bettoni was Zidane's assistant at Real Madrid, where Zidane guided the Spanish club to three straight Champions League titles from 2016 to 2018. Hamidou Msaidie, another close associate who worked with Zidane during both his spells at Real Madrid (2016-2018 and 2019-2021), also joins as assistant. Grégory Dupont was appointed "Strategy and Performance Advisor" and likewise worked with Zidane at the Madrid club.

Security and medical changes

The FFF specified that the staff will be completed by September and will include a liaison officer, an agent from the Interior Ministry assigned to handle security matters. Mohamed Sanhadji, who held the liaison post from 2004 to December 2025, was forced into early retirement from the national police after receiving a gift of 60,300 euros from Kylian Mbappé following the 2022 World Cup without informing his superiors. Well-regarded by players and the federation, Sanhadji was recruited directly by the FFF to accompany France at the 2026 World Cup and remains on staff in charge of logistics and security.

The medical team was largely renewed. Dr. Franck Le Gall, who had held the team doctor position since 2012 and the arrival of Deschamps, was replaced by Hervé Collado, who previously worked with the France women's team.

What's next

France's first match under Zidane will be a Nations League fixture away to Turkey on September 25, followed by a match in Belgium three days later. The FFF indicated the full staff will be finalized before September.