January 9, 2005

Bayern Munich, the leading German football club, currently in Dubai for their second successive winter training camp, will be playing a friendly match against Eneergie Cottbus at 5:00 pm tomorrow (January 10, 2005) at the Dubai Police Officers Club.

Bayern Munich, which is being hosted by the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), will also be playing against the Al Ahli Dubai team on January 11, 2005 at 7:00 pm at the Al Ahli Club.

The team also announced the return of its French defender, Bixente Lizarazu. Bixente Lizarazu is one of the stars of France's 1998 World Cup triumph. He first joined Bayern Munich in 1997 and was with them for seven years. He now rejoins the team after playing for the French club, Olympic Marseilles, for a season. In his new stint with Bayern Munich, Lizarazu will be part of the club for a period of 5 months.

“The return of Bixente Lizarazu to Bayern Munich is great news not only to the club but also to the thousands of football fans in Dubai. Football is an extremely popular sport in this part of the world and people here have a very good understanding of the game and its players. It is indeed an honour for Dubai to welcome Bayern Munich team for the second time. DTCM is proud to host the club and would like to extend wishes for a successful training camp in this great city,” said Hamad Mohammed bin Mejren, DTCM Manager Missions.
Lizarazu, known for his enterprising style of play, made his international debut as long ago as 1992. He played every one of France's games in Euro 96 and France 98, drawing comparisons with the legendary Manuel Amoros. He excels playing either as a flat back four or bombing forward in the wing-back role.
Uli Hoeness, Deputy Chairman, Bayern Munich, said, “We are glad to have Lizarazu back. He has been the mainstay for Bayern Munich for a number of years and he is quite a talent. This training camp in Dubai will do a world of good to the team who are preparing for a busy schedule ahead. We are also grateful to Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing and Alpha tours for planning an itinerary that will help us to unwind after we go through the rigorous training sessions here.”

“The return of Bayern Munich represents yet another coup for Dubai and DTCM, and caps our efforts to position Dubai as a top sporting destination, apart from many other fields in which the emirate has excelled,” added Mejren. “Events like Dubai World Cup, Dubai Tennis Open and Dubai Desert Classic have been persistently enhancing the image of Dubai as a top sporting destination. More recently, the announcement of Dubai Sports City has added to Dubai’s rising status as a sports capital of the region. It is no surprise that Bayern Munich has given Dubai the unique honour of being chosen as the venue for its winter training camp for the second consecutive year.”

Besides the main training camp at the Police Officers Club, DTCM have prepared a packed sporting and social programme for the team. Select players from the Bayern Munich team are also scheduled to visit top shopping malls in Dubai. The team’s entertainment programme will be capped by a Desert Safari hosted by Alpha Tours.