The last match of the year in Greece, this Tuesday, risks bringing back bad memories for Bixente Lizarazu, whose career with the France team ended pitifully against the Hellenic team.
Two years after the fiasco of the 2002 World Cup, the French team, crowned four years earlier in the Netherlands, arrived at the Euro in Portugal in the summer of 2004 with high ambitions, with an impressive flawless in qualifying with eight wins in eight matches and 29 goals scored against only two conceded. The competition also started with a miracle for the Blues, winners of England 2-1 in Lisbon after being led 1-0 until added time. But two goals in two minutes from Zinedine Zidane would capsize France.
The rest would be less flamboyant with a sluggish draw against Croatia (2-2) then a victory drawn in the last quarter of an hour against Switzerland (3-1). Jacques Santini’s men nevertheless finished at the top of their group and were offered a quarter-final of their own against Greece, a surprise guest of the final phase after beating Portugal in the match of opening.
However, although the Blues dominated the debates, struggling to appear truly dangerous, it was Greece who won 1-0 on a goal from Angelos Charisteas shortly after the hour mark. At the start of the action, Bixente Lizarazu is dropped by captain Theodoros Zagorakis and lives his last moments in the French team. At 34, the Basque decided a few weeks later to put an end to his international career.
“It’s a page that is turning… It’s difficult to stop but at the same time, at some point, you have to know how to say stop. Frankly, I couldn’t see myself continuing until I was 40! I have a pang in my heart because we are leaving the France club all together: Zizou, Tutu (Thuram), Marcel (Desailly) and me…”, he confides at the start of the school year when he arrives at Olympique de Marseille. A year later, Zinedine Zidane, Lilian Thuram and Claude Makelele, however, will reconsider their decision while the homeland is in danger in the qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup…
