Bixente Lizarazu facts for kids
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Lizarazu in 2011
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 9 December 1969 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Saint-Jean-de-Luz, France | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.69 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | 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) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992–2004 | France | 97 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993 | Basque Country | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Bixente Jean-Michel Lizarazu (born 9 December 1969) is a famous French former professional footballer. He played as a left-back, which is a defensive player on the left side of the field. He is known for his speed and strong attacking skills.
Lizarazu started his career at Bordeaux in France. He then moved to Athletic Bilbao in Spain. His most successful time was with the German team Bayern Munich. There, he won many important titles, including the UEFA Champions League.
He also had a very successful international career. He played for the French national team for 12 years. During this time, he helped France win the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Euro 2000 championship.
Contents
Who is Bixente Lizarazu?
Bixente Lizarazu was born in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, France. From a young age, he loved many sports. He was especially good at football. He became known as one of the best left-backs of his time.
He was a fast and energetic player. He could run up and down the field to help both attack and defense. Even though he wasn't very tall, he was strong and quick. He was great at passing the ball and sending accurate crosses into the penalty area.
His Amazing Club Career
Starting at Bordeaux
Lizarazu began his journey in professional football with Bordeaux. He joined their youth team when he was 15 years old in 1984. At first, he played as a winger, which is an attacking player on the side.
Some people thought he was too small to be a professional footballer. But Lizarazu worked very hard and showed great determination. His coaches were impressed. He soon became a member of the senior team in 1988. His coach suggested he train as a left-back. This new role allowed him to attack and defend. He quickly became a key player for Bordeaux.
In 1990, Bordeaux finished second in the French league. However, the club faced financial problems and was moved down to a lower division. Lizarazu stayed with the team and helped them get back to the top league in 1992. During this time, a future superstar, Zinedine Zidane, also joined the team. Together, they formed a strong squad.
In 1995, Bordeaux won the UEFA Intertoto Cup. This allowed them to play in the 1995–96 UEFA Cup. They had an amazing run, reaching the final. They beat strong teams like A.C. Milan along the way. In the final, they lost to Bayern Munich. After this, Lizarazu decided to seek a new challenge. He moved to Athletic Bilbao in Spain in 1996. He played 299 games for Bordeaux, scoring 28 goals.
Playing for Athletic Bilbao
Lizarazu spent only one season with Athletic Bilbao. This club has a special rule: they only sign players who were born in the Basque region or have Basque family. Lizarazu was the first French player to join them because of his Basque heritage.
He had some injuries and found it hard to get a regular starting spot. He played 16 league games for the club. After one season, he decided to move to Germany.
Success at Bayern Munich
In 1997, Lizarazu joined the German football giant, Bayern Munich. This was where he achieved his greatest club success. Even before playing a league match, he won his first trophy with Bayern, the DFL-Ligapokal.
He won six Bundesliga championships with Bayern. The Bundesliga is Germany's top football league. He also won the German Cup five times. One of his biggest achievements was winning the UEFA Champions League in 2001. He even scored a penalty in the final's shootout. In 2001, he also won the Intercontinental Cup. This made him the first player to be a current European and World champion for both his club and his country.
Lizarazu left Bayern briefly in 2004 to play for Marseille in France. But after just six months, he returned to Bayern Munich in January 2005. He continued to play for Bayern until 2006. In total, he played 268 games for Bayern, scoring eight goals.
Playing for France
Lizarazu had an incredible international career with the French national team. He played 97 games for France between 1992 and 2004, scoring two goals.
He was a key part of the French team that won the 1998 FIFA World Cup. This was a huge moment for French football. He also helped France win the UEFA Euro 2000 championship. He played in the final of both of these major tournaments.
He also played in the 2002 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2004. After Euro 2004, he retired from international football.
Life After Football
After retiring from football, Lizarazu didn't stop being active. He became very interested in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, a type of martial art. In 2009, he even competed in a jiu-jitsu competition in Europe. He won the European championship in his division!
He is also a big fan of surfing. Today, he works as a football expert for French television and radio. He shares his knowledge and opinions about football with fans.
Lizarazu has two children. He speaks several languages, including Basque, French, Spanish, German, and English.
Honours
Bixente Lizarazu won many trophies during his career:
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
Orders
See also
In Spanish: Bixente Lizarazu para niños
