Manchester United have officially cut all links with Fabien Barthez — on loan at Marseille — when they said on Tuesday the France goalkeeper’s contract will be cancelled on June 30.
The 32-year-old 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship winner went to Marseille in October after falling to third in the United pecking order behind American Tim Howard and Northern Ireland’s Roy Carroll.
Barthez had two-and-a-half years left on his Manchester United contract.
World soccer’s governing body Fifa turned down Marseille’s appeal to sign Barthez on loan outside the approved transfer period and he had to wait until the January transfer window to complete his move.
Manchester United signed Barthez for a world record fee for a goalkeeper of £7,8-million ($13-million) from Monaco in May 2000. He played for Marseille until 1995, winning the European Cup with them in 1993. — Sapa-AFP