Barthez appeal thrown out by FIFA
ZURICH, Switzerland -- World governing body FIFA have turned down Marseille's appeal to sign Manchester United goalkeeper Fabien Barthez ahead of January's transfer window.
The French club want Barthez on loan as a replacement for the injured Cedric Carasso who is second-choice to Croatian Vedran Runje.
Barthez, 32, has fallen out of favor at English champions United and is now third in line behind American Tim Howard and Northern Ireland's Roy Carroll.
Marseille president Christophe Bouchet said from Belgrade, where his side were playing a Champions League match, he would not take the Barthez issue to the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport.
"We did not have many illusions because an entity like FIFA doesn't change its mind. In any case there are only two games left to play before the winter break," Bouchet said. "Fabien will be Marseillais after the break."
Barthez, who has been training with Marseille, is desperate to play first-team soccer to convince France coach Jacques Santini he should be first choice for their defense of the European Championship in 2004.
"FIFA went against its own interests in this case. It asks us to reduce squads and the players' workload and doesn't offer us any help," Bouchet said.
"I wouldn't be surprised if before long the rules aren't changed to allow deals which greatly resemble Barthez's."
The furore surrounding the return of Barthez to Marseille appeared to disrupt team spirit and many fans believed the clubwere being disloyal to current keeper Runje.
Marseille have lost six of their seven games since the initial FIFA decision, including their last four at home.
Bouchet admitted Marseille were in crisis adding: "When it's not going well everyone must accept their responsibility, from the physio to the president."
Barthez, a 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 winner, has been at Marseille since mid-October and the club are paying part of his wages. He has two-and-a-half years left on his Old Trafford contract.
United signed Barthez for 7.8 million pounds ($13m) from Monaco in May 2000. He played for Marseille until 1995, winning the European Cup with them in 1993.
