Lizarazu leaves options open for the future

Frankly, Bixente Lizarazu could have taken it easy and relaxed a little during the current stay in Dubai. Bayern's oldest outfield player has won everything there is to win in club football, and also lifted the World Cup and European Championship trophies with France. Not only that, but his designated successor at left-back, Philipp Lahm, made an impressive return from serious injury before Christmas.

Bixente could spend the last few months until the end of his contract in the summer winding down his glorious career free of stress and strain. However, and typically, he has no intention of doing any such thing. Even at 36, the diminutive Basque is as hungry for honours as he was on the day he turned professional. His attitude is clear enough in the daily workouts in Dubai, as he throws himself into even the most demanding routines with gusto.

A streak down the Champs-Elysées?

"I am feeling very tired at the moment," he admitted, although he can hardly be the only squad member with weary limbs. "But when you consider I'm an old man nowadays, I reckon I'm in pretty good shape," he continued with a trademark bewitching smile.

'Liza' has set himself some challenging personal goals for the next few months. "I'd like to maintain my high standards for the rest of the season, because there are one or two trophies up for grabs. And the Champions League final is in Paris." France star Lizarazu would be solidly on home territory should Bayern make it that far, and Bixente has already made a few wagers in that respect: "If we get there and go on to win, I'm going to run naked down the Champs-Elysées after dark."

Focus on Champions League

There remains a long way to go until late-night strollers down the world's most famous boulevard get to see the surfing and sailing freak's superbly conditioned torso in all its primitive glory. Italian giants AC Milan bar the way in the first knockout round. "I reckon we're at around the same level as Milan," the left-back surmised, pointing to excellent dressing room spirit at the moment and the squad's deep self-belief. "We talk a lot about the Champions League in training. We have the potential to win it."

Lizarazu reckons he is a specialist in his position: "Philipp's more attacking, I'm a defender," he reasoned. He also has the experience to know full well the club's superb first half of the campaign will count for very little over the next few weeks. "The second half of the campaign is always decisive. That's where you really find out what a team's made of. You can have 10 or 15 poor minutes and get knocked out of the Champions League."

Media role beckons

Liza was undoubtedly thinking of Chelsea's three goals in 21 minutes during last term's quarter-final first leg. "Winning the Champions League gets more difficult with every passing year. It's no wonder no team's been able to defend the trophy."

The likeable player still has no answer to the question of his future after this summer. "It's not the right time to be thinking about that. The next five months are what count for now," he remarked, although he revealed concrete plans for the period after he finally hangs up his boots: "As it stands, it looks as though I'll be working for French TV."

That would only be on a part-time basis, and Lizarazu also ruled out re-entering the game as a coach or team manager, as he yearns for the time to undertake a range of projects. "I want to see the world," this much travelled, hugely successful, beach-loving player declared.