He was a world champion, won the Champions League and now he breaks it as a jiu jitsu fighter

Despite having had an outstanding career, surely for the new generations the name of Bixente Lizarazu doesn’t sound so familiar. If you are between 20 or 25 years old, you probably know him from a PlayStation 1 or 2 video game or from being a sports fan. The truth is that the life of this former French player is really striking, since after a very successful time in footballhis desire to continue competing made him train in other sports.

Martial arts, surfing, skiing and even a chronicler in different media, are some of the activities that caught the 54-year-old former player after his retirement. As a life scientist, Bixente likes experience different areas and lets himself be surprised by the experiences he finds along the way. However, we are not talking about just any former footballer: if you ask any active player, or even someone who dreams of being one, Lizarazu’s career is more than missed.

What was Bixente Lizarazu’s football career like?

Since he was 6 years old, Bixente has liked sports. He started playing Basque pelota, tennis, and soccer and competed in all of them at the same time. Once older at 14, the former player dedicated himself fully to football in the training divisions of the Bordeaux Girondins.

In 1988, the player made his debut for the French club and left an indelible mark: 8 years played, 272 games, 28 goals, a promotion to Ligue 1, an Intertoto Cup and a runner-up finish in the Uefa Cup (now known as the Europa League). The striking thing about his time at Girondins is that Lizarazu started playing as a forward, until one day the coach, Aime Jacquet, put him as left back and he never left the position. Furthermore, on the Bordeaux team he shared a team with Zinedine Zidanea legendary French player with whom he would later lift some important trophies.

In 1996, Lizarazu had to decide between emigrating to Arsenal in England or going to the Athletic Club of Bilbao. The former soccer player, being of Basque descent by family, leaned toward the Spanish club. In the Spanish league, the former soccer player had a brief stint due to an injury that had him suffering throughout the season. Bixente was able to play only 18 games over the course of a year and decided to change course towards Germany.

In 1997 he arrived at Bayern Munich and conquered everything that can be disputed at the club level. Lizarazu played for 8 years in the European giant in what was his best cycle as a footballer; His level was so high that he became one of the best full-backs in the world. From 1997 to 2004, the German team took over six editions of the Bundesliga, five of the German Cupthe UEFA Champions League in 2001 and the Intercontinental Cup 2001 defeating a great Argentine soccer player: Boca Juniors.

It should be noted that, in the midst of success with his club, Lizarazu also reached the sky with his hands with his team. He was an important participant in the France World Cup 1998, where the “Galo” team became champion for the first time in its history, defeating young Ronaldo’s powerful Brazil 3-0 in the final. In addition, Lizarazu became champion of the Euro 2000 held in the Netherlands and Belgium. On that occasion, France beat Italy in the final with a memorable golden goal from the Franco-Argentine David Trezeguet. Furthermore, as if that were not enough, the ex-lateral became champion of the Confederations Cup 2001 and 2003.

Returning to his club career, the former player left Germany for his homeland in 2004, but this time to wear the club’s shirt. Olympique de Marseille, where he had a short step. Already in 2006, Bixente Lizarazu returned to the club with which he won everything (Bayern Munich) and decided to hang up his boots that season.

What happened to Bixente Lizarazu’s life after his retirement from football?

After retirement, from 2006 to the present, Lizarazu’s goal was to continue staying in shape; In fact, it is good that he achieved it because at the age of 54, the former soccer player still has a privileged physique.

The truth is that “Liza” revealed in an interview for the magazine “Líbero” that at the time of retirement he needed to “decompress” after a lifetime of soccer, so he looked for other sports to surprise him. At first he tried surfing, something familiar since his sister practiced that sport when she was young. Likewise, sports related to snow and cold captivated him: he practiced skiing and skeleton, even hoping to participate in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. It was until one day, The former full-back discovered a new passion; Jiu Jitsu.

Lizarazu JiuJitsu.png

Under the tutelage of the French black belt Yannick Beven, Lizarazu launched himself into competing in the world of martial arts with the same dedication and skill that he showed on the soccer field. His debut at the European Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Open in Lisbon in 2009 was a success, winning the senior blue belt lightweight tournament and being crowned European champion.

According to Lizarazu, His attraction to the martial art is related to being a “fight for survival.” being an individual sport; On the other hand, soccer is a team sport where if you make a mistake, a teammate can save you.

The most incredible thing of all is that the former player never seems to get tired, since to this day he practices all the sports he discovered in his life after hanging up his boots. The former defender even added a new discipline: cycling.

However, despite needing to take a break from the “king of the game,” Lizarazu did not completely distance himself from the world of football. In addition to being a fan of different sports, the former world champion is currently dedicated to covering football events for different audiovisual or graphic media, which is a great passion for him.

Bixente Lizarazu’s story is truly inspiring and shows that success knows no limits; True greatness lies in the ability to reinvent oneself since the closing of different stages means welcoming new life experiences.