According to RMC, Barthez will serve as Zidane's assistant goalkeeper coach in the French national team coaching staff, but he has not yet completed the necessary coaching certifications.
The French national team has embarked on a new chapter under Zinedine Zidane's leadership. After 14 years in charge, Didier Deschamps has replaced his coach, assembling a coaching staff comprised of familiar faces. The French Football Federation announced the full coaching team selected by Zidane this Thursday, which includes Barthez.
The former French goalkeeper, winner of the 1998 World Cup and the 2000 European Championship, will serve as assistant goalkeeper coach. This is a new role for this important figure in French national team history. However, Barthez has not yet obtained the necessary certifications for the position. According to RMC Sport, Barthez is currently pursuing the French Football Coaching Certificate (BEF), a professional certificate awarded by the French Football Federation and recognized as an A-level certificate by UEFA.
This did not prevent him from taking up a position with the senior national team. The French Sports Code stipulates that those who have begun this training are eligible to receive remuneration and coach. Therefore, Barthez joining Zidane's coaching staff and becoming the French national team's goalkeeping coach was in accordance with the relevant regulations. The 1998 World Cup champions thus underwent training while simultaneously assuming this new responsibility.
