Reuters
 
Paris, Oct 6: The French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez has announced his retirement from club and international football.

Once dubbed the best goalkeeper in the world, Fabien Barthez leaves the soccer scene saddened by Germany 2006 but with plenty of great memories in a colourful career.

A World Cup winner on home turf in 1998, he received the last of his 87 caps at the World Cup final in July when France lost to Italy on penalties.

An eccentric genius to some, and just plain eccentric to his critics, the shaven-headed goalkeeper was undoubtedly one of the most flamboyant figures in international football.

Being different, though, is nothing new to a footballing man who grew up in the southwestern heartland of French rugby, and whose stand-off half father Alain once played for his country in the 15-a-side game.

Born in June 1971, in the village of Lavelanet in the foothills of the Pyrenees, Barthez's pro career began with a stint at Toulouse from 1990-92, before being snapped up by the then all-conquering Olympique Marseille.

A man of few words and whose accent bears the distinctive twang of the southern French, Barthez soon settled in to life at the Stade Velodrome and an unforgettable debut season.

Marseille won their fifth consecutive league title at a canter and lifted the European Cup, the first French club ever to do so, after beating AC Milan 1-0 in the final.

Shortly afterwards, their dream run turned into a nightmare when Barthez's team were stripped of that domestic league title and banned by UEFA from defending their European crown after it emerged that club officials had bribed Valenciennes players to throw a late-season league game.