A final cut short
The dynamism and fever-pitch enthusiasm rolled over to the semi-final, against Vladimir Šmicer's
S.K. Slavia Prague. For months now, the Girondins had been delighting fans of total football all over the continent. Facing a team well-packed with internationals (indeed the Czechs beat France to make the finals of Euro 1996 a few months later), Rohr's side won 1-0 in the first leg, away from home (Dugarry got the goal). Another 1-0 victory in the return fixture (goal from Tholot this time) put Bordeaux
through to the final : a historic achievement! What's more, the two-leg format meant half of the final would be played right here in Bordeaux.
Bayern Munich were Bordeaux's 13th opponents of the season in Europe; a number which lived up to its unlucky reputation in Bavaria, where a Bordeaux side missing both Zidane and Dugarry (suspended) were soundly beaten by a Munich side used to this sort of occasion.
On 1st May, Oliver Kahn Jürgen Klinsmann, Lothar Matthäus, Jean-Pierre Papin and co were 2-0 winners at the Olympia Stadion, in front of 65,000 roaring fans. Thomas Helmer and Mehmet Scholl got the goals that evening (34' and 60')!
Two weeks later, the question on everybody's lips was whether or not the Girondins would be able to pull of a repeat of the "
miracle of Milan," in front of 35,000 fans worked up into a frenzy before the game had even begun. But Bordeaux were visibly
tired at the end of a seemingly never-ending season, including a fairly hellish showing in D1. Franz Beckenbauer's side always looked one step ahead. All of Bordeaux's big names were present and correct for the occasion, but only until the 30th minute... when Lizarazu was quite literally
cut up by Emil Kostadinov! The Bulgarian, already known as the man who prevented France from qualifying for World Cup 1994 (with a goal in the 93rd minute of the final qualifier, on 17th November 1993 at the Parc des Princes), had now ruled Lizarazu out of the European championships too! A scandalous challenge, and an unworthy end to an incredible adventure for Liza.
The
wound was twelve centimetres long and one centimetre wide, requiring an urgent visit to the nearby hospital! He was replaced by Cédric Anselin, an inexperienced youngster of just 18. The match took on a very different tone, and the atmosphere was soured by the fact that Kostadinov did not receive so much as a yellow card. It was a terrible evening on all fronts, with Scholl (53'), Kostadinov (65') – so unfair! – and Klinsmann (78') sealing victory for the Bavarians. Bordeaux's only compensation came from the boot of Dutuel (76'). The stinging injustice of Liza's injury remains, but there is no denying that
Bayern were the better team that night. Not only did they have more experience at this level, they also looked physically sharper.
As Bixente himself later recalled to Les Cahiers du Football, it had been a draining season…
"We really didn't have the energy or depth in the squad to be competing for both [i.e. the domestic league and the UEFA Cup], playing every 3 days at that same high level, dealing with the emotional rollercoaster. Unintentionally, we gave up on the league. (…) It became a very long season. (…) But in Europe we felt unbeatable." Physically and mentally
"frazzled" at the end of an epic season, this band of local heroes finished the season in 16th place on 42 points, just 4 points ahead of F.C. Gueugnon in the relegation zone. For the last few games of the season, the starting XI was virtually a youth side…
Bixente Lizarazu played just 23 matches in the league that season (scoring 3 goals), but he made no fewer than 17 appearances in Europe (5 goals) for a season total of 40 games played. As it turned out, that unhappy final against Bayern Munich was to be his
final professional appearance for the Girondins de Bordeaux. This adopted son of the city has never quite got over the injustice of that unplanned farewell. Be that as it may, he holds a well-earned place in the club's
Hall of Fame, with 299 appearances and 28 goals for the Girondins (including 25 at home!) between 1988 and 1996.
A national hero
Like many other veterans of that gruelling season, Bixente decided to embark upon a new adventure and cement his reputation as a player at the very top level of the game. That new adventure began with
Athletic Club Bilbao (1996-1997), and continued with F.C.
Bayern Munich (1997-2004 and 2005-2006), as well as one season with Olympique de Marseille (2004-2005). On top of the Intertoto Cup won with the Girondins (1995), his trophy cabinet began to expand rapidly:
Champions League (2001), the
Intercontinental Cup (2001), the Bundesliga title (6 times), 5 German Cups, 5 League Cups and more. And all the while, he was also racking up caps, trophies and accolades with the national side, winning the World Cup in 1998, Euro 2000 and two Confederations Cups (2001 and 2003).
Richly-deserved rewards for a tenacious, powerful, talented and endlessly determined player. A fierce competitor, a peerless professional and a model of discipline, energy, fair play, technical ability and mental fortitude. A player who started out on the wing, then helped redefine the modern game with his counter-attacking style at wing back. A leader of men, at Bordeaux and elsewhere, and a champion on a truly international scale.
His dependability, his loyalty to the club through hard times and his commitment to the team
earned the respect of all who knew him. Liza grew up and improved thanks to the Girondins, and vice versa. Lizarazu is a true Bordeaux legend, a fan favourite whose legacy at the club lives on.
His record with the Girondins
Second Division Champions in 1992
Winners of the Intertoto Cup 1995
UEFA Cup runners-up in 1996
Voted best left-back in the French league in 3 seasons
Footnotes
1 The Intertoto Cup was a tournament previously played over the summer, featuring the best-placed European clubs who had failed to quailfy for the Champions League or U.E.F.A. Cup. The winners of this preliminary tournament were given a place in the U.E.F.A. Cup.
2 The full 1995-1996 squad also included: Lionel Perez, Franck Fontan (goalkeepers), Kodjo Afanou, Éric Guérit, Didier Sénac, Jean-Yves de Blasiis, William Prunier, Pascal Philippe, Yannick Fisher, Raphaël Camacho, Patrick Amrane, Cédric Anselin, Jean François Daniel, Laurent Fournier, Mirza Varešanović, Régis Castant, Jérôme Geffroy, Franck Histilloles, Kaba Diawara and Anthony Bancarel.
3 In 1995-1996, the U.E.F.A. Cup final (now known as the Europa League) was still played over two legs, making it the only European competition still using this format (the Champions League and Cup Winners' Cup had already switched to one-off finals). Since the 1996-1997 season, the U.E.F.A. Cup final has also been played as a single match on neutral ground.
Read more about Bixente Lizarazu's career with the Girondins
Read more about Bixente Lizarazu's career with France
