By Ray Abdilla

French defender Bixente Lizarazu, the subject of a blackmail attempt by Basque separatists ETA, will be under tight security in Malta when he arrives with German Champions Bayern Munich today.

The German Champions will arrive in Malta at around 11am to play a friendly against Malta's national team at the National Stadium and they will stay at the Corinthia Hotel in Attard.
The Maltese Police and the Interpol authorities have been in contact with each other after Lizarazu and his parents refused to hand over money to the Basque separatists.
Inspector Martin Bayliss, Head of the Special Assignment Group, together with another half a dozen policemen from the SAG will be escorting the the French international defender throughout his stay, which will be around 12 hour.
At the end of the year 2000 Lizarazu inaugurated a stadium named after him in the French Basque country on Saturday.
Lizarazu, accompanied by his parents and his girlfriend, Elsa, had unveiled a plaque written in the Basque language, renaming the Belcenia stadium the Stade Vixente Lizarazu Kirolzelaia (sports ground).
Lizarazu's parents also received a demand last month in a letter claiming to be from the Basque separatist group ETA, but they have refused to talk about the affair.
His father Jean, however, said of the ETA threats: "Until they are denied, we must be careful."
The former coach of Paris Saint Germain, Philippe Bergeroo, who like Lizarazu is a Basque, attended the ceremony at the stadium.
The letter said the 31-year-old Bayern Munich defender, a member of the World Cup and Euro 2000 winning sides, must pay a "revolutionary tax" because he played in the national team of an "enemy state".
Malta-Bayern Munich match will form part of the seniors' team preparation for the two World Cup qualifiers against Denmark on March 24 and Iceland on April 25. The Bundesliga giants have accepted the Malta FA invitation to travel to Malta since the German league is on a winter break.