Former France and Manchester United goalkeeper Fabien Barthez announced his retirement from football, on this day in 2006.

The 1998 World Cup winner made his announcement on French television channel TF1, three months after appearing in the 2006 World Cup final.

Barthez, aged 35 at the time, said: “I am quitting the French team, I am quitting club football. I am going to continue enjoying myself without football.”

The mercurial Frenchman, who also helped his country win Euro 2000, initially quit soon after being released by Marseille at the end of the 2005-06 season.

He had been France’s first-choice keeper in the 2006 World Cup, with his last match being the penalty shoot-out loss to Italy in the final.

Barthez was with United for four years between 2000 and 2004, winning two Premier League titles in the process.

But his erratic displays saw Sir Alex Ferguson lose patience with him and he spent the final season on loan back at former club Marseille, who he subsequently joined on a two-year permanent deal.

Shortly before he announced his retirement, Barthez had been trying to agree a deal with first club Toulouse, but it did not work out.

“The only club I wanted to go to was not so happy to have me,” he said. “It happens and you have to live with it. I needed an adventure and I have only done things that I want to.”

Barthez’s club retirement did not last long though, with the keeper announcing in December 2006 that he had signed a deal with Nantes.

But the following April, after an altercation with a Nantes fan, Barthez left the club and, although he stated his intention to carry on playing, he did not make another appearance.

In 2008, Barthez switched sports and began a successful motorsport career. He won the 2013 French GT Championship alongside Morgan Moullin-Traffort and competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 2014, 2016 and 2017.

Fabien Barthez does not believe Paris Saint-Germain are getting the best out of their team by alternating between goalkeepers Gianluigi Donnarumma and Keylor Navas.

Donnarumma signed for PSG in the off-season, as one of four remarkable free signings alongside Lionel Messi, Georginio Wijnaldum and Sergio Ramos.

It is fair to say that none of those additions have been rip-roaring successes. Messi has failed to replicate his Barcelona form and scored only seven times across all competitions, albeit that does make him PSG's second-highest goalscorer so far this season, behind Kylian Mbappe (26).

While Messi has at least provided 10 assists, Wijnaldum has only directly contributed to six goals in all competitions (three goals, three assists), creating just 11 chances for his team-mates. Due to persistent injury concerns, Ramos has made just five appearances in total, playing 284 minutes.

Donnarumma, meanwhile, has had to vie with Navas for a place as PSG's first-choice goalkeeper.

The Euro 2020-winning shot-stopper did not make his Ligue 1 debut until September 11, and has started on just 12 occasions in France's top flight, having been a substitute in another 12 league games.

Two further appearances have come for Donnarumma in the Coupe de France, but the latter game saw PSG eliminated on penalties by Nice. The 23-year-old has played in five Champions League matches, but was culpable for Karim Benzema's first goal on March 9 as Mauricio Pochettino's team capitulated against Real Madrid in the last 16.

In the opinion of Barthez, who played a pivotal role in France's 1998 World Cup triumph, having two top-quality goalkeepers at the club is actually backfiring on PSG.

"I respect coaches a lot, I respect Pochettino a lot and I know how difficult this job is, but putting two goalkeepers of this level in competition [with each other] does not serve the team," he told L'Equipe.

"What message are you sending to your goalkeepers? What psychological dispositions do you place them in? Who do you really trust for big games? What do outfield players say to each other?

"You instil doubt in everyone and then, it's the competition that makes you progress, not the training. A guy like Donnarumma - or Navas for that matter - he has to play. What happened [against Madrid] is the consequence of all that."

Donnarumma has made 61 saves, 10 fewer than Navas' 71, across 19 games in all competitions, although the Italy international has registered a better save percentage compared to his Costa Rican counterpart (78.2 in contrast to 76.9).

When taking goals prevented into account, based on Opta's expected goals on target conceded (xGOT) model, Donnarumma also has a clear edge, having prevented a total of 4.8 goals in comparison to Navas' figure of 2.8.

Essentially, Donnarumma's saves have prevented a further two goals than those of Navas, and Barthez has backed the former Milan goalkeeper to improve.

However, he believes Donnarumma "lacked humility" when he made the mistake that allowed Benzema to kick-start a comeback that dashed PSG's Champions League hopes at the Bernabeu.

"I adore him, I have observed his performances for a long time. But on this one, he also lacked humility," Barthez added. 

"But, in a way, what happened to him makes sense. He wins the Euro, he is full of confidence, he arrives in Paris and we put him in competition with Navas."