Bixente Lizarazu

Bixente Jean Michel Lizarazu (Basque pronunciation: [biˈʃente liˈs̪araˌs̪u], born 9 December 1969) is a French former professional footballer who played as a left-back. Known for his pace, elite athleticism with sharp defensive intelligence; he is widely regarded as one of the greatest full-backs in the history of the sport.

He rose through the ranks at Bordeaux, where he was part of a team that finished second in the French First Division in 1989–1990, were administratively relegated to the Second Division at the end of the 1990–1991 due to financial problems, and then won promotion from the Second Division in the 1991–92 season. His Bordeaux team finished runners-up in the 1995–96 UEFA Cup. As he is a native of the French Basque Country, he was able to join Athletic Club in 1996, but did not nail down a starting spot during his one season at the club.

In 1997, he joined German giants Bayern Munich, where he enjoyed much success. He won six Bundesliga championships with the team, as well as the 2000–01 UEFA Champions League, where he scored his penalty in the shootout in the final.

In a 12-year international career from 1992 to 2004, Lizarazu earned 97 caps for the France national team. He played in three UEFA European Championships and two FIFA World Cups for France, winning the 1998 World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000.