Bixente Lizarazu facts for kids
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Lizarazu in 2011
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Bixente Jean Michel Lizarazu | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 9 December 1969 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Saint-Jean-de-Luz, France | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Left-back | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1977–1984 | Les Églantins Hendaye | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1984–1988 | Bordeaux | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1986–1989 | Bordeaux B | 43 | (10) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1988–1996 | Bordeaux | 246 | (22) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | Athletic Bilbao | 16 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–2004 | Bayern Munich | 151 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | Marseille | 14 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Bayern Munich | 31 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 501 | (39) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992–2004 | France | 97 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993 | Basque Country | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bixente Lizarazu (born on December 9, 1969) is a famous French former professional footballer. He played as a left-back, which is a defensive position on the left side of the field.
Lizarazu started his career at Bordeaux in France. He helped his team finish second in the French First Division in 1990. After some financial issues, the team was moved down to the Second Division, but they quickly earned promotion back to the top league in 1992. His Bordeaux team also reached the final of the 1995–96 UEFA Cup in 1996.
In 1997, he joined the German football giant Bayern Munich. There, he had a very successful time, winning six Bundesliga championships. He also won the 2000–01 UEFA Champions League in 2001, scoring a penalty in the final shootout.
Lizarazu played for the French national team for 12 years, from 1992 to 2004. He played in three UEFA European Championships and two FIFA World Cups. He was a key player when France won the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000.
Contents
Early Life and Background
Bixente Lizarazu was born in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, France. He grew up in Hendaye, both cities are in the French Basque Country. He has Basque family roots.
Club Football Career
Starting at Bordeaux
Lizarazu loved many sports when he was young. He began his professional football journey with Bordeaux. He joined their youth team when he was 15 years old in 1984. At first, he played as a winger.
Some people thought he was too small to become a professional footballer. But Lizarazu worked very hard and showed great determination. He joined the main team in 1988. His coach, Didier Couécou, suggested he try playing as a left-back. This position suited him well, and he quickly became a regular player.
In 1990, Bordeaux finished second in the French championship. However, the next year, the club faced money problems and was moved down to the Second Division. Lizarazu stayed with the team and helped them get back to the top league in 1992. The club also signed Zinedine Zidane, who became another important player.
In 1995, Bordeaux won the UEFA Intertoto Cup. This allowed them to play in the 1995–96 UEFA Cup. They made it all the way to the final, beating strong teams like A.C. Milan. In the final, they lost to Bayern Munich. After this, Lizarazu, Zidane, and Christophe Dugarry all moved to new clubs. Lizarazu joined Athletic Bilbao. He played 299 games for Bordeaux, scoring 28 goals.
Time at Athletic Bilbao
Lizarazu played for Athletic Bilbao in Spain for just one season in 1996–97. He was the first French player to join Athletic. This club has a special rule: they only sign players who are from the Basque region or have Basque heritage.
During his time there, he had a groin injury. He also found it hard to get a regular spot in the team. He played 16 league games and had some disagreements with the coach. In 1997, he moved to Bayern Munich.
Success with Bayern Munich
Before even playing a league match, Lizarazu won a trophy with Bayern Munich. He won the DFL-Ligapokal, a preseason cup. This was the start of a very successful period for him in Germany.
Even with some serious injuries, he won many titles. He won six Bundesliga championships, including three in a row from 1999 to 2001. He also won five DFB-Pokal cups. In 2001, he won the Champions League with Bayern. He scored his penalty in the shootout during the final. That same year, he won the Intercontinental Cup. This made him the first player to be a European and World champion in both club and international football at the same time.
Lizarazu left Bayern in 2004 and joined Marseille in France. But after only six months, he returned to Bayern Munich in January 2005. During his second time at Bayern, he wore the shirt number 69. He explained that this was because he was born in 1969, his height is 1.69 meters, and he weighed 69 kilograms. He played 268 games for Bayern Munich between 1997 and 2006, scoring eight goals. He left Bayern in 2006.
International Career with France
Lizarazu played 97 games for the French national team. He scored two goals for his country. His first game was on November 14, 1992, against Finland.
He helped France win the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000. He started in the final match of both tournaments. He was also part of the French team in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. France was eliminated early from that tournament without scoring any goals, and Lizarazu played in all three group stage matches. He stopped playing for the national team after France was surprisingly knocked out by Greece in UEFA Euro 2004.
Playing Style and Skills
Experts consider Lizarazu one of the best left-backs of his time. He was an attacking full-back, meaning he was good at both defense and offense. He was known for his excellent passing, technique, speed, and stamina. He could run up the side of the field and deliver accurate crosses into the box.
Even though he was not very tall, he was also a strong defender. His speed helped him get back quickly to defend when needed.
Life After Football
After retiring from football, Lizarazu started practicing Brazilian jiu-jitsu. In 2009, he competed in a jiu-jitsu competition in Europe. He became the European champion in his division. He also enjoys surfing and works as a football expert for French television and radio.
Lizarazu has two children. He is in a relationship with actress Claire Keim, and they have a daughter together. He was previously engaged to singer Elsa Lunghini. Lizarazu speaks several languages, including Basque, French, Spanish, German, and English.
Honours and Achievements
Bordeaux
- Division 2: 1991–92
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1995
- UEFA Cup runner-up: 1995–96
Bayern Munich
- Bundesliga: 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2005–06
- DFB-Pokal: 1997–98, 1999–2000, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2005–06
- DFB-Ligapokal: 1997
- UEFA Champions League: 2000–01; runner-up: 1998–99
- Intercontinental Cup: 2001
France
- FIFA World Cup: 1998
- UEFA European Championship: 2000
- FIFA Confederations Cup: 2001, 2003
Individual Awards
- ESM Team of the Year: 1998–99
- UEFA Team of the Year: 2001
- FIFA XI: 2002
- Équipe type spéciale 20 ans des trophées UNFP: 2011
Orders
See also
In Spanish: Bixente Lizarazu para niños
