Lizarazu leaves Les Bleus

Fresh start
Capped 97 times, the 34-year-old revealed his decision after talks with France coach Raymond Domenech. Lizarazu has just made a fresh start to his club career, joining Olympique de Marseille after a long spell with FC Bayern München.

Personal life
He said: "Over the last seven years at Bayern, I have given 100 per cent of my energy to the France team and to my club. I have pushed myself to the limit because of the demands of playing at this level. Now I need more time for my personal life and my son."

Legendary defence
The former FC Girondins de Bordeaux full-back began his international career on 14 November 1992, in a 2-1 win against Finland. During a 12-year run in the side he scored two goals and wore the captain's armband once. Along with Thuram, Desailly and Laurent Blanc, he was part of the legendary defence that helped France win the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO 2000™.

Question marks
Domenech still hopes to persuade Thuram to reverse his decision and also intends to ensure that Zinedine Zidane remains part of the 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign. The 32-year-old playmaker has said he will make a decision before the opening qualifier against Israel on 4 September. A further question mark is the future of goalkeeper Fabien Barthez, 33.