United Archives: Barthez

In February, 2003, eccentric keeper Fabien Barthez conducted an exclusive interview with United Review, the official matchday programme.

Were you surprised how much the fans still sing about Eric Cantona at Old Trafford?
I think it's magnificent. It's really special that the fans at Old Trafford still sing his name.

What do you remember of the famous Paolo Di Canio goal in the FA Cup two seasons ago? Did you try to put him off by pretending he was offside?
[Grins] It's all part of the game! All I remember was that he was through one-on-one against me. He placed it past me well into the far corner.

Who do you think is the best keeper in the Premiership and the world?
In the Premiership, Carlo Cudicini is a very good goalkeeper. In the world, it's tough for me to say because I don't watch a huge amount of world football, but the goalkeeper who stands out at the moment is Gianluigi Buffon. He's playing well and has a good attitude towards the game.

Peter Schmeichel was very successful at United. What do you think of his abilities?
He's a great goalkeeper, there's no doubt about that. Apart from winning the European Cup here, he's won the European Championship with Denmark. He can't prove himself any more than he already has. He's an extremely well respected figure in the game and is obviously now bringing that vast experience to Manchester City.

Is there a particular United game that really sticks out in your mind?
The European Cup quarter-final against Deportivo La Coruna away was a really good game. And the game against Liverpool in December [2002] was fantastic.