How Barthez bluffed Becks in penalty mind game

By Steve Stammers, Evening Standard

15 June 2004

Fabien Barthez revealed today how he won the mind games battle with David Beckham when he saved the England captain's penalty in Lisbon on Sunday.

Sven-Goran Eriksson confirmed yesterday that Beckham would continue to take penalties for England if he wanted to, despite missing his last two, against France and Turkey.

Former Manchester United goalkeeper Barthez admitted he had studied videos of Beckham's technique at spot kicks and noted that the majority went to the goalkeeper's right. He then gave an insight into the psychological war that precedes a penalty.

Barthez was clearly aware that if Beckham had scored, France would have struggled to get a point, never mind three, as they already trailed to Frank Lampard's first-half header. That is when he indulged in his game of double-bluff with Beckham.

Barthez said: "After watching the video we knew that Beckham almost always shoots to the right. But when I gave him the ball and winked at him, he put the ball down and his eyes went to my left side. I thought he was going to screw me because if I dived to the right and he put the ball to the left, then he scores. But if I dived to the left and he put it to the right, as I thought he would do before the game, I would have had even more regrets.

"So I decided to go with my first decision and I saved it.

Beck's has overcome this 'always to the goalies right' - now he just shoots straight up - the goalie can't reach as the ball soars over 60 foot up!

4 penalty misses in a row - can see why he's denoted as the best penalty taker in the game (?)