Barthez gets Marseille all clear

Goalkeeper Fabien Barthez could make his comeback for Olympique de Marseille against RC Strasbourg on Saturday after France's football authorities gave the green light to his signing from Manchester United FC on loan for the remainder of the season.

'Contract validated'
"The contract has been validated today by the French Professional League. The French Football Federation has received all the official documents from the English Football Association," said a Marseille statement today. "Fabien will be able to make his comeback at the Stade Vélodrome for our French Cup first-round match against Strasbourg."

Numerous honours
An integral figure as France won the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO 2000™, Barthez previously lifted the 1992/93 UEFA Champions League with Marseille in the first of his three seasons at the club. He left for a five-year spell at AS Monaco FC before moving to Old Trafford in 2000 for a world-record fee for a goalkeeper of €12.5m. The 32-year-old won two league titles with United but was dropped towards the end of last season.

France No1
Ligue 1 club Marseille and United reached an agreement on a nine-month loan transfer in October but FIFA blocked the move because it had not been registered during the transfer window. An appeal by the French club was turned down and Barthez, desperate to play first-team football to remain as France's No1 keeper for UEFA EURO 2004™, had to wait until the opening of the transfer window. Marseille will play FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in the third round of the UEFA Cup.