Bundesliga
"Lucas Hernandez plays how I used to" - Lizarazu
Former Bayern Munich left-back Bixente Lizarazu has welcomed the record champions' signing of fellow Frenchman Lucas Hernandez, saying the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner reminds him of himself in his heyday.
Lizarazu won six Bundesliga titles, five DFB Cups and the UEFA Champions League in his two stints as a Bayern player between 1997 and 2006. He also lifted the 1998 World Cup and 2000 UEFA European Championship with France, before retiring from football at the age of 36.
Now a TV pundit for French television and radio, Lizarazu believes Hernandez represents a real coup for the 28-time Bundesliga champions.
"I see a lot of left- and right-backs, who have problems in defence and are only good going forward," Lizarazu told German daily, Bild. "But Lucas Hernandez is good in defence and in attack. He is very strong, and has a lot of potential.
"Bayern have made a good choice. He plays how I used to back in the day."
Hernandez officially joins Bayern on 1 July, having signed a five-year deal with the Bavarian giants at the end of March. During his medical, Bayern club doctors discovered the 23-year-old had damaged a ligament in his right knee.
He subsequently underwent surgery to correct the problem and missed the remainder of the 2018/19 La Liga campaign with Atletico Madrid, but is expected to be fit for the start of pre-season.
The Marseille native will link up with fellow 2018 World Cup winners Benjamin Pavard and Corentin Tolisso, as well as France winger Kingsley Coman, at Bayern.
Hernandez, who can play at left-back and in the centre of defence, made 110 competitive appearances for former club Atletico, winning the UEFA Europa League and Super Cup with the club.
He has been capped 15 times by France at senior international level, and featured in all seven of their World Cup games at Russia 2018.