Fabien Barthez eliminated from Toulouse legends cup

Fabien Barthez has been knocked out of Toulouse’s online Coupe des légendes after supporters chose Branco van den Boomen in their round-of-16 vote. The result ends the former goalkeeper’s bid to be recognised among the club’s most influential figures, despite his return to the France setup in a coaching role.

Van den Boomen won the contest with 67% of the votes in the poll organised by Les Violets. Barthez had reached the main bracket after overcoming Gérald Passi in the preliminary round, but his time with Toulouse was brief by comparison. He made 28 appearances for the club.

Barthez first played for Toulouse in September 1991, when the absences of the team’s other two goalkeepers opened the way for his debut. He left for Marseille the following summer and won the Champions League with the club one year later.

Van den Boomen spent three seasons in Toulouse and played a major part in the club’s return to Ligue 1 in 2022. The Dutch midfielder then helped deliver the Coupe de France the next season, earning a direct place in the legends competition’s final bracket. Barthez has meanwhile worked alongside Zinedine Zidane as France’s goalkeeping coach, with Mike Maignan reportedly responding well to his guidance before producing a standout display in Turkey on Friday.