The former Bayern Munich full-back insists that he understands the anguish of the players as he also lost the 1999 UEFA Champions League final.
Bixente Lizarazu was part of the Bavarian side that lost to Manchester United in the European final at the Camp Nou in http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Barcelona-c38604. The German side threw their 1-0 lead and conceded two goals in stoppage time to blow a brilliant
chance of lifting the trophy. Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored for the Red Devils in the dying moments of the game.
The French international claimed that Jupp Heynckes’ side were very unlucky in the end as they dominated the proceedings throughout the course of 90 minutes. He insisted that the team is still very competitive and can surely go
on to win the Champions League in the future.
The former player added that the current lot of players have great quality and are certainly capable of going all the way.
“It's a very good team. They were unlucky in the Champions League final, perhaps they just lacked the killer instinct you need in that kind of match. We were beaten finalists back in 1999, but we won the trophy two years later.
Today's team has the quality to make the final again, and they just have to win it,” he was quoted as saying in an interview.
Lizarazu stressed that it would be very difficult for the players to forget the defeat at the hands of http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Chelsea-c38786, but is confident that the loss will give the side more motivation to win in the future. He gave the example of the
1999 team that lost in the final and won the competition two years later.
“Once you're in a final with the chance of winning the most significant trophy there is, but you actually lose, it's hard to pick yourself up. On the other hand, I'm absolutely certain the defeat in 1999 gave us the power to win
the trophy in 2001,” he concluded.
Bixente Lizarazu made a total of 182 league appearances for the Bavarian giants in two spells and scored seven times in the process.
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