Barthez, the divine comedian

A master showman and a brilliant goalkeeper, Fabien Barthez's retirement from football brings the curtain down on a brilliant career.

Brilliant career
Having won 87 caps over the course of 12 years for France, playing 17 games at the FIFA World Cup finals - a French record - and winning both world and UEFA European Championships, Barthez has earned a reputation as a national goalkeeping legend, at least on a par with the likes of Julien Darui, René Vignal, Georges Carnus or Joël Bats. He was certainly one of the best-known No1s of recent times.

Out of contract
'Le Divin Chauve' - 'The Divine Baldy' - announced his decision to hang up his gloves in a television interview on Thursday night after finding himself without a club after leaving Olympique de Marseille. However, the 35-year-old former Toulouse FC, Marseille, AS Monaco FC and Manchester United FC custodian can reflect on a career in which he shone for well over a decade at the highest level.

Joyous displays
"Being in the business as long as I have, I always thought of the things that I achieved as normal, but the joy I brought to the job is the thing that made me special," Barthez said. Few who saw him in his prime would deny that the man nicknamed 'Fabulous Fab' in the British papers brought something unique and unpredictable to the world of goalkeeping.

Prodigal talent
A prodigy at his first side, Toulouse, his old coach Elie Baup said: "Barthez showed that one could trust a young goalkeeper. Before him, a keeper needed to be 25 or 26 to line up consistently in a top-flight team." Barthez was just 21 when he played in Marseille's 1-0 win against AC Milan in Munich in the final of the first UEFA Champions League on 26 May 1993.

Controversial side
His subsequent exploits would see him court controversy - he was twice handed lengthy bans from football, the first for testing positive for cannabis and the second for spitting at a referee - but his ability as a shot-stopper was rarely questioned.

Total focus
Barthez felt that focus was one of his great strengths. "In my career, I was like a skin diver," he said. "Some say those guys can concentrate so hard that they cannot hear or see anything other than what they are aiming for. I felt like that on the pitch. Nothing else mattered except winning the one-to-one battle with the opposition striker."

Lighter moments
Focus notwithstanding, Barthez was capable of showing a remarkable lack of nerves in crucial moments. In the minutes prior to the penalty shoot-out against Italy in Paris that saw France reach the 1998 World Cup semi-finals, his team-mates could be seen grappling with the magnitude of the occasion. Barthez, however, was joking with assistant coach Philippe Bergeroo on the bench.

Useful feet
Eccentricity was certainly a Barthez hallmark, but his regular forays out of his area were more than just showboating. "He played very well with his feet," remembered Baup. "He could have been a great outfield player." Sure enough, only a few days ago rumours were circulating that Barthez was about to sign a contract as a striker with a local amateur side in Toulouse.

Last kick
As it is, it looks like he has now kicked his last ball in anger. "I can still have fun without football," said Barthez on Thursday. Fans may feel, however, that football may not be quite as much fun without him.