L'Équipe reports that Mike Maignan, goalkeeper for AC Milan and the French national team, is gradually returning to the form befitting his abilities following discussions with Fabian Barthez, France's new goalkeeping coach.

Mike Maignan's status has remained unchanged whether under Zinedine Zidane or during Didier Deschamps' final period as coach—he has consistently been France's number one goalkeeper with virtually no strong competition within the squad. However, a gap has emerged between Maignan's near-flawless 2023-24 season and his current form as AC Milan captain, a gap the Paris Saint-Germain academy product must still bridge. While his club's new season shows promise, he has yet to recapture the "magic" that once caused opposing attacks to falter. France's new coaching staff is well aware of this. Though somewhat disappointed with Maignan's performance at the World Cup and hoping for better decision-making, they maintain confidence in him ahead of the training camp. A few weeks ago, Barthez traveled specifically to speak with him. The two spent nearly five hours discussing the goalkeeper position, with the new French goalkeeping coach sharing his experience and explaining his expectations of Maignan. Maignan found this extremely helpful. In Serie A, across five matches, he kept two clean sheets. However, Barthez's comments in a May 2023 RMC Sport interview initially clouded Maignan's impression of the new coach. Barthez stated he appreciated Maignan's "playing style" and "positioning," and admired his "unconventional approach," but regarding the goal conceded near the post against Inter Milan in the Champions League semi-final, he added: "That ball shouldn't have gone in...he's still missing something." At their recent meeting, the 1998 World Cup winner told Maignan he wanted to see him return to his level from three years ago and was willing to help him. So where does Maignan stand now? Certainly not as strong as the 2023-24 season, but noticeably better than last season—his worst in the past five years. Since the new season began, he has kept two clean sheets in five Serie A matches for AC Milan, and none of the four goals conceded can be clearly attributed to him. In the Europa League match against Benfica, he conceded two more (September 16, 0-2); he might have saved Lugebakio's shot had his vision not been slightly obscured at the moment of the strike. However, he has made several important saves in other matches, notably in the league game against Lazio (2-2 draw on September 12). Amorim's three-man defensive system requires him to manage the space behind the defense better, and he is working toward this—striving for greater precision and reclaiming his magic touch.

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