Barthez saves the best until last

By Matthew Spiro

Some 75 days after first arriving at the club, Fabien Barthez was finally cleared to make his debut for Olympique de Marseille last Saturday. For the Marseille supporters who witnessed the goalkeeper's heroics against RC Strasbourg in the French Cup, it was well worth the wait.

Great saves
Appearing in his first competitive club match since April, Barthez showed no signs of rustiness, producing a string of fine saves to keep the score 1-1 after extra time. But the 32-year-old, never one to shy away from the limelight, saved his best for the penalty shootout. He made two stunning stops before stepping up with the scores tied at 3-3 and calmly sending his opposite number Richard Dutruel the wrong way to seal victory.

Lucky break
The colourful goalkeeper, who has joined the Ligue 1 club on loan after losing his place in the Manchester United FC side, admitted his debut could not have gone any better. "It was the ideal scenario," said Barthez, who has returned to the club where he won the UEFA Champions League in 1993. "The most important factor was that Marseille went through, but of course it meant a lot on a personal level, too. Things haven't been going well for me in the last six months, so it's about time my fortunes changed."

Long wait
Marseille first attempted to sign Barthez in October following a serious injury to second-choice goalkeeper Cédric Carasso, but FIFA instructed them to wait until the transfer window opened in January. Barthez spent the interim period training with Marseille and is now relieved to be back in competitive action.

'Back to my best'
"When I walked out on Saturday I was quite tense because I've only played four or five matches in the last six months," he explained. "You can train all you like, but it's just not the same as playing in matches." He is confident, however, that he has not lost any of his quality. "Goalkeepers can lose skills very quickly, but they can regain them just as fast," he said. "I've got plenty of work to do, but once I get a handful of games under my belt I'll be back to my best."

Other rewards
These words are sure to please France coach Jacques Santini, who admitted he would contemplate replacing Barthez as his No1 for UEFA EURO 2004™ if he did not start playing club football regularly again. The former AS Monaco FC custodian insists, however, that international football is not his primary concern. "All I am worried about now is doing my best for Marseille," said Barthez. "If I work hard every day and play well for Marseille, other rewards will hopefully arrive."

Important presence
Meanwhile, the Marseille players are hoping that Barthez's experience and charisma will help breathe new life into a season that has been in steady decline for two months. "We are an inexperienced team and his presence will help," said Egyptian striker Ahmed 'Mido' Hossam. "By talking to us on the pitch all the time and calming us down at important moments, he'll make sure we stay focused."

Surprise finale
Despite Saturday's clinically taken spot-kick, Mido need not worry about Barthez challenging him for goalscoring duties. "I was a bit shocked when the manager asked me if I wanted to take a penalty," smiled Barthez. "It felt very strange when I scored. I always thought that if I scored a goal I would start jumping about wildly. But I didn't react like that at all. I don't even remember what was going through my head."