Mike Maignan quickly won over by Fabien Barthez

Mike Maignan has quickly taken to Fabien Barthez, giving France’s new goalkeeping partnership an encouraging start after a significant change around the national team. Barthez was appointed by Zinedine Zidane as goalkeeper coach, taking on the role for the first time after Franck Raviot’s 16-year spell ended with Didier Deschamps’ departure.

Maignan and Hugo Lloris had developed a particularly close working relationship with Raviot during his long period with France. The arrival of Barthez has therefore required the goalkeepers to establish new habits and a different daily connection. Maignan is understood to have been impressed immediately by Barthez’s approach and has spoken positively about him in private.

The AC Milan goalkeeper has also appeared more fulfilled in recent days, a change reflected in his display against Turkey on Friday. France won 2-0, with Maignan producing one of his strongest performances for the national team in several months. That result provided an early indication that the transition in the goalkeeping department is progressing well, although Maignan now faces another test against Belgium on Monday.