Franck Ribéry
Encyclopedia
Franck Ribéry is a French international footballer who currently plays for German club Bayern Munich
in the Bundesliga
. He primarily plays as a winger, preferably on the left side, and is known for "pace, energy, skill and precise passing." Ribéry is described as a player who is "fast, tricky and an excellent dribbler" who "has great control with the ball at his feet". Since joining Bayern, he has been recognised on the world stage as one of the best French players of his generation. The previous talisman of French national team, Zinedine Zidane
, has called Ribéry the "jewel of French football".
Ribéry's career began in 1989 as a youth player for local hometown club Conti Boulogne. He left the club after seven years to join professional outfit Lille
, but departed the club after three years after having difficulties adjusting. In 1999, Ribéry joined US Boulogne
, where he played for two years. After spending two more years in the amateur divisions with two different clubs (Alès
and Brest
), in 2004, Ribéry earned a move to Ligue 1
club FC Metz
. After six months with the club, Ribéry moved to Turkey
in January 2005 joining Galatasaray
where he won the Turkish Cup. After six months at Galatasaray, he departed the club in controversial fashion in order to return to France to join Marseille
. Ribéry spent two seasons at the club helping the Marseillais reach the final of the Coupe de France
in back-to-back seasons. In 2007, Ribéry joined German club Bayern Munich
for a then club-record fee of €25 million. With Bayern, he has won the double on two occasions; in the 2007–08 and 2009–10 seasons. In 2010, Ribéry contributed to the team that reached the 2010 UEFA Champions League Final
, but was unable to participate in the match due to suspension.
Ribéry is a French international
. Prior to representing the senior team, he played at under-21 level
. At senior level, Ribéry has represented his nation two FIFA World Cup
s and UEFA Euro 2008. He made his international debut in May 2006 against Mexico
. At the 2006 World Cup, Ribéry scored his first international goal against Spain
and played in the final match
against Italy
. Individually, Ribéry is a two-time winner of the French Player of the Year award and has also won the German Footballer of the Year
becoming the first player to hold both honours. He has also been named to the UEFA Team of the Year
and declared the Young Player of the Year in France.
and raised in a low-income neighbourhood on the fringes of the city. When he was two years old, he and his family were involved in a car accident in his hometown, colliding with a truck. Ribéry suffered serious facial injuries that resulted in over one hundred stitches and left two long scars down the right side of his face. Prior to joining Stade Brestois
in 2003, he worked as a construction worker
with his father, which Ribéry referred to as a "learning experience". Ribéry's younger brother François is also a football player, and has played for numerous amateur clubs in France. François plays for Bayonne
in the Championnat National. Ribéry's wife, Wahiba, is a French national of Algerian descent and the couple have two daughters and a son. Ribéry is a convert to Islam and, following his conversion, adopted the name Bilal Yusuf Mohammed.
Since establishing himself as an international, Ribéry has been involved in numerous promotional campaigns. For the 2008–09 season, he appeared, alongside international teammate Karim Benzema
, on the French cover of video game FIFA 09
. Ribéry is sponsored by American sportswear company Nike
and regularly wears Nike Mercurial Vapor
s. He has appeared in several television advertisements for the brand and, during the 2007–08 Bundesliga season, starred in a one-time television show called "The Franck Ribéry Show", which aired on Direct 8
in France. The show, sponsored by Nike, acted as a variety show with Ribéry appearing in several sketches. On 25 May 2010, a 27 by 30 m (88.6 by 98.4 ft) billboard of Ribéry was officially unveiled in his home city of Boulogne-sur-Mer ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup
. The billboard paid tribute to a similar billboard that was erected for Zinedine Zidane
in his home city of Marseille
during his career. The construction of the billboard was initially suspended due to possible image ramifications associated with Ribéry's alleged relationship with an underage prostitute. However, the Regional Council of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region, which initially opposed the billboard, agreed to allow construction of the billboard. The billboard was a project of Ribéry's sponsor Nike and was on display for the duration of the FIFA World Cup.
On 18 April 2010, it was first reported by French television service M6 that four members of the French national team were being investigated for their roles as clients of a prostitution ring that was being operated inside of a Paris nightclub
with some of the women possibly being underage. The report also stated that two of the players were already questioned as witnesses by judge André Dando and a group of magistrates. The report described the two players as being one who “is a major player in a big foreign club” and that the other “plays in the championship of France Ligue 1". Later that day, the players were discovered to be Ribéry and Sidney Govou
. During his interview with Dando, Ribéry reportedly admitted to having a relationship with a prostitute, but did not know that she was a minor at the time the relationship began. On 29 April, the country's Secretary of State for Sports Rama Yade
, after refusing to publicly comment on the case in its infancy, declared that any player placed under investigation should not represent the France national team. The following day, a judicial source confirmed that Ribéry would not be placed under official investigation, if at all, before the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup
. On 20 July, Ribéry was questioned by Paris police and, following questioning, was indicted by judge Dando on the charge of "solicitation of a minor prostitute".
, who were playing in the second division
. While at Lille, Ribéry excelled athletically, but developed academic and behavioral problems, which led to Lille releasing him. After leaving Lille, Ribéry returned to his hometown joining the biggest club in the city, US Boulogne
. After spending a year in the reserves, he was promoted to the senior team. Ribéry only made four appearances in his debut season as Boulogne, who were playing in the CFA, the fourth division of French football, earned promotion to third-tier Championnat National
. In his second season with the club, Ribéry appeared in 25 league matches converting five goals. Though Boulogne finished 17th, which meant a return to the fourth division, Ribéry's solid performances earned him a move to fellow National club Olympique Alès
. In his only season at the club, Ribéry made 18 appearances scoring only one goal. Following the season, despite finishing safe, Alès were relegated to the Division d'Honneur, the sixth division of French football, by the DNCG
after the club declared bankruptcy. The resulting news led to Ribéry signing with Stade Brest
, another Championnat National club. At Brest, Ribéry established himself as a premier player in the league appearing in 35 league matches scoring three goals. Ribéry's performance and the team as a whole led to the club finishing second in the league, thus earning promotion to Ligue 2
. Despite the success with Brest, Ribéry sought to play in Ligue 1
, the top division of French football. His dream came to fruition when FC Metz
's manager Jean Fernandez
took a liking to him and recruited him on a free transfer.
Ribéry only spent half a season at Metz, but impressed earning the UNFP Player of the Month
in August 2004. He scored his only league goal for Metz on 6 November in the team's 1–1 draw with Toulouse
. His stellar play on the right side of midfield led to Metz supporters comparing him to Robert Pirès
, a former Metz legend. After negotiations on an extension ended in a stalemate, in January 2005, Ribéry relocated to Turkey. There he joined Galatasaray on an initial loan deal; the Istanbul-based outfit had the right to pay Metz €2 million to make the move permanent.
At Galatasaray, Ribéry was brought in by manager Gheorghe Hagi
and appeared in 14 league matches as the club finished in 3rd place position. While playing for the club, Galatasaray supporters nicknamed him Ferraribery, in reference to his quick acceleration with the ball at his feet and also Scarface, due to a large scar located on the right side of his face. In the Turkish Cup, Ribéry was instrumental in the club's 5–1 thrashing of rivals Fenerbahçe in the competition's ultimate match
. He scored the opening goal in the 16th minute and also assisted on another goal. Ribéry was later substituted out in the 52th minute with Galatasaray leading 3–1. The trophy was Ribéry's first major honour.
on a five-year contract, thus reuniting with former manager Jean Fernandez. The move was considered surprising to Galatasaray as Ribéry had three years remaining on his contract after the club paid Metz €2 million to make the loan move permanent on 30 March. Ribéry argued that he had not been paid his wages by the club and asked FIFA
, the sport's governing body
, to invalidate his contract. He also confirmed that, at one point during the season, he was threatened with a baseball bat by his former agent and a Galatasaray director. A day after announcing his move, Galatasaray officials and manager Eric Gerets blasted the player for betraying the club and also announced their intent to ask FIFA to probe the situation. In July 2005, FIFA ruled in favor of Ribéry and dismissed Galatasaray's claims of the player being at fault. In response, the Turkish club announced their decision to challenge FIFA's ruling by appealing to the international Court of Arbitration for Sport
. On 25 April 2007, their appeal was dismissed by the court, who declared in a statement that Ribéry had terminated his contract with the Turkish club at the end of the 2004–05 season on just grounds, and that Galatasaray was therefore not entitled to any compensation. Galatasaray had sought €10 million in compensation from Marseille.
collecting a yellow card. On 17 September, he scored his first goal for the club in their 2–1 victory over Troyes
. Two weeks later, Ribéry netted goals in back-to-back matches in victories over his former club Metz and Nice
. On 19 November, Ribéry scored the game-winning goal in a 2–1 win over Nantes. The goal, scored from almost 35 metres (1,378 in) out, was later voted the goal of the season by supporters. In the Coupe de France, Ribéry performed well scoring a double against Le Havre
and scoring the opening goal in Marseille's 3–1 semi-final victory over Rennes. The win pushed Marseille through to the 2006 final
where they faced Le Classique
rivals Paris Saint-Germain, which merited Ribéry his second consecutive cup final appearance. Unfortunately, Marseille faltered losing 2–1 to the Parisian club. In Europe
, Ribéry scored two goals in the UEFA Intertoto Cup against Italian club Lazio
and Spanish outfit Deportivo de La Coruña
. In the UEFA Cup, he scored one goal converting it in the second leg of Marseille's Round of 32 tie with Premier League club Bolton Wanderers
. Ribéry was later named the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year by the UNFP.
, a bidding war occurred in order to obtain his services with English club Arsenal
initially offering €15 million for the player. However, Arsenal would be trumped by Spanish club Real Madrid
, who offered €30 million for the Frenchman, according to Marseille directors. Rivals Olympique Lyonnais
also sought Ribéry's services with president Pape Diouf
accusing Jean-Michel Aulas
of tapping-up
Ribéry after it was discovered that the Lyon chairman visited the France national team and Ribéry himself during the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Diouf later threatened to report Aulas to the Ligue de Football Professionnel
for his actions. He also went as far as to accuse Ribéry's former agent, Bruno Heiderscheid, of badly advising the player. Despite the tumultuous summer, Marseille continued to declare the player off limits with Ribéry having nearly four years left on his contract. On 11 August 2006, Ribéry confirmed his intentions to remain at the club for the 2006–07 season.
Ribéry's now heightened popularity saw increased speculation from writers and supporters that Marseille would finally win their first league title since the 1991–92 season. He began the 2006–07 campaign on a high note scoring in the club's second match of the season against Auxerre
in a 3–0 trouncing. However, through the rest of the fall season, Ribéry went cold going scoreless. On 11 November 2006, he suffered a serious groin injury in Marseille's 1–0 loss to Lille. The resulting injury led to Ribéry missing the rest of the fall season returning following the winter break. On his return in January, Ribéry netted two goals in another win over Auxerre. The following month, Ribéry suffered a fractured foot in a match against Toulouse
. The injury required him to miss four league matches, as well as a Coupe de France match. In April 2007, Ribéry finished the league season by scoring in back-to-back weeks against Sochaux
in a 4–2 win and Monaco
in another victory. In the Coupe de France, Marseille again reached the final with Ribéry, for the second straight season, putting them there scoring the game-winning goal in a 3–0 semi-final win over Nantes. In the final
, Marseille were heavy favorites over Sochaux, a team they had completely dominated just 12 days prior. However, Sochaux recorded an upset victory defeating Marseille 5–4 on penalties after the match ended 2–2 following extra time. Ribéry's final match with Marseille was a 1–0 win over Sedan
on the final match day of the season. The victory secured 2nd place for Marseille and was their best finish since finishing runner-up to Bordeaux during the 1998–99 season. Following the season, Ribéry was awarded the France Football Magazine's French Player of the Year award. The honor ended the four-year reign of Thierry Henry
.
announced that they had reached an agreement with Marseille for the transfer of Ribéry with the player agreeing to a four-year deal and Bayern paying Marseille a then club-record €25 million. Ribéry was given the number 7 shirt, which was freed up due to the retirement of midfielder
Mehmet Scholl
at the end of the previous season. He made his team début one month later, scoring twice in an 18–0 friendly
drubbing of Munich
youth side FT Gern. Ribéry made his competitive debut for Bayern on 21 July 2007 against Werder Bremen
in the first round of the Premiere Ligapokal scoring twice and also assisting on another in a 4–1 victory. In the semifinals, he netted an early goal in a 2–0 win over defending champions VfB Stuttgart
. Due to injury Ribéry was unable to play in the final, which Bayern won.
Ribéry scored his first league goal for the club on 18 August in a 4–0 triumph over Bremen converting a penalty in the 31st minute. He went scoreless in the league for almost two months before scoring a goal and providing the assist on Bayern's other goal in a 2–1 win over Bochum
. A month later, Ribéry recorded this feat again providing the assist on the opening goal scored by Miroslav Klose
and scoring the game winning goal in a 2–1 win over Wolfsburg
. In the German Cup
, he recorded two goals and provided four assists in five matches Bayern Munich contested. He netted his first goal in the competition on 27 February 2008 in Bayern's win over inner-city rivals 1860 Munich
with Ribéry converting the lone goal, a penalty, in the final minute of extra time. In the semifinals, Ribéry scored the opening goal in Bayern's 2–0 win over Wolfsburg, which resulted in the club qualifying for the final where they faced Borussia Dortmund
. In the competition's ultimate match, Ribéry assisted on Luca Toni
's opener in the 11th minute. Bayern won the match 2–1, claiming their 14th cup title.
In the UEFA Cup
, Bayern reached the semi-finals with Ribéry scoring three goals in the competition including one in the Germans' comeback win over Spanish club Getafe
in the quarterfinals. In total, Ribéry appeared in 46 matches scoring 16 goals and assisting on 17 goals as Bayern won the league and cup double
. For his efforts, on 8 June 2008, Ribéry was named the 2007–08 German Footballer of the Year. He was also named the French Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.
. Following the match, Ribéry proceeded to go on a goal-scoring rampage converting at least one goal in five straight league matches with the club going undefeated in that span. On 10 December, Ribéry capped the 2008 portion of the season by scoring a goal and provided the assists on the other two in Bayern's 3–2 victory over Lyon
in the UEFA Champions League
. For his performances during the 2008 calendar year, he finished third behind Cristiano Ronaldo
and Lionel Messi
for the Onze d'Or
. Ribéry was also shortlisted by the French magazine France Football
for the 2008 Ballon d'Or
award, won by Cristiano Ronaldo
.
Ribéry's 2009 debut saw Bayern earn a 5–1 German Cup win over Stuttgart with the player scoring and also providing an assist. On 24 February 2009, he scored a double in the club's 5–0 win over Portuguese
club Sporting in the first leg of their Round of 16 clash. Bayern were later eliminated 5–1 on aggregate by Spanish champions Barcelona in the next round with Ribéry scoring a consolation goal in the second leg. In the league, Bayern failed to defend their Bundesliga title, despite suffering defeat only twice in their final 13 matches, losing out to Wolfsburg. Ribéry ended the season with 36 total appearances scoring 14 goals and issuing 19 assists.
, and new manager Louis van Gaal
declaring that Ribéry would not be sold, numerous media outlets declared that English clubs Chelsea
and Manchester United
, Spanish clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid
, and Italian outfit Internazionale had strong interest in the player with many of the clubs willing to offer as much as €65 million for the player. In order to quell the interest, Hoeneß declared that Ribéry would leave for nothing less than €100 million.
Ribéry started the 2009–10 season struggling with tendonitis
in his left knee, but was healthy enough to start the season scoring his first goal in a 5–1 victory against Borussia Dortmund
converting a free kick. The goal was notable in part due to Ribéry's celebration afterward. Following his conversion of the free kick goal, Ribéry ran across the field eluding several celebratory teammates and enthusiastically jumped into his manager Louis van Gaal's awaiting arms. The mutual show of admiration ended speculation by the media of the two having a bad relationship. In early October, the tendinitis began to affect his play, which resulted in Ribéry missing the rest of the year, as well as France's World Cup playoff tie with the Republic of Ireland
. Ribéry returned to the team on 23 January 2010 appearing as a substitute in the club's 3–2 league win over Werder Bremen. Ribéry's first goal of the new year came on 10 February scoring in Bayern's 6–2 DFB-Pokal
victory over SpVgg Greuther Fürth
. On 31 March, he scored the equalizing goal in Bayern's 2–1 first leg win over English club Manchester United
in the UEFA Champions League
quarterfinals after converting a free kick
, which deflected off of striker
Wayne Rooney
before going into the net. In the club's ensuing match, Ribéry scored the opening goal in the team's 2–1 victory over Schalke
.
On 20 April, Ribéry was sent off by referee
Roberto Rosetti
in the club's first leg UEFA Champions League semi-final against Lyon
after being adjudged to have committed serious foul play on Lyon striker Lisandro
. The expulsion resulted in Ribéry missing the second leg in Lyon
, which Bayern won to advance to the UEFA Champions League final
. On 28 April, Ribéry was handed a three-match suspension by UEFA
's Control and Disciplinary Body for assault. The suspension meant that Ribéry would miss the final. Following the ruling, Bayern Munich announced their intent to appeal the suspension. On 5 May, the club's appeal was heard by the UEFA Appeals Body and Ribéry's ban was upheld which meant that not only would Ribéry miss the final on 22 May, but he would also miss the next UEFA club competition fixture for which he is eligible. However, immediately after the ruling, Bayern responded by announcing their intent to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. On 15 May, Ribéry scored the third goal in Bayern's 4–0 win over Werder Bremen
in the 2009–10 edition of the DFB-Pokal final. Two days later, Ribéry's appeal was heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport and was dismissed meaning he was officially ruled out of the UEFA Champions League final against Inter
on 22 May. Bayern Munich lost the match 2–0. On 20 May, it was announced by German newspaper Bild that Ribéry had agreed to a new five-year contract with Bayern Munich and that the player would sign the contract upon his arrival in Madrid
to watch his teammates contest the UEFA Champions League final. On 23 May, the day after the final, the club officially confirmed the agreement. The new deal ties Ribéry to the club until 2015 and, though there is uncertainty regarding the annual salary, it has been speculated that the new deal pays him an annual salary of €10 million a year, the highest annual salary ever awarded to a player in the club's history.
healthy for the first time since his debut season with the club. He was among the first World Cup players to arrive to pre-season training and made his season debut on 16 August 2010 in Bayern's 4–0 victory over Germania Windeck in the 1st round of the DFB-Pokal
. In the match, Ribéry scored his first goal of the season. Four days later, he assisted on the game-winning goal, scored by Bastian Schweinsteiger
, in the team's opening league match against Wolfsburg
. On 21 September, Ribéry was forced to leave the team's 2–1 win over Hoffenheim after suffering an ankle injury. The injury was discovered to be serious and Ribéry was ruled out for four weeks.
Despite the initial diagnosis, Ribéry missed two months and returned to the team on 14 November in a league match against Nuremberg. A week later, Ribéry was criticized by manager Louis Van Gaal for his performance in a friendly match against Unterhaching
, which was organized to help Ribéry and other injured first-team players regain full fitness. Though Van Gaal was disappointed in several of his players' performances, he singled out Ribéry stating "he (Ribéry) didn't make any effort and showed no commitment". Ribéry did, however, remain in contention to appear in the team's next league match against Bayer Leverkusen. He, subsequently, appeared in the match as a substitute in the 61st minute. On 8 December, Ribéry scored a double in a 3–0 victory over Swiss
club Basel
in the Champions League. On 15 January, in Bayern's first league match following the winter break against Wolfsburg, Ribéry suffered a lower leg injury in the first half as a result of a tackle by Brazi
ian midfielder
Josué
. Initial media reports described the injury as serious with Ribéry possibly having to undergo surgery to repair torn ligaments. However, after further medical analysis, the injury was only reduced to a sprain and Ribéry subsequently missed two weeks. He returned to the team on 5 February in a league match against Köln
. On 12 February, Ribéry assisted on two goals in a 4–0 win over Hoffenheim.
Following the team's 3–1 league win over FSV Mainz
on 19 February, Ribéry embarked on a streak in which he charted a statistical output in Bayern's next five league matches. On 26 February, he assisted on the team's only goal in its 3–1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund
. In the next match against Hannover 96
, he repeated his feat from the previous match assisted on an Arjen Robben
goal in another defeat. On 12 March, Ribéry had arguably his best performance of the season after scoring a goal and providing three assists in a 6–0 hammering of Hamburger SV
. In Bayern's following match against SC Freiburg
, he assisted on the team's opening goal, scored by Mario Gomez
, and then netted the game-winning goal two minutes from time in a 2–1 win. Against Borussia Mönchengladbach
on 2 April, Ribéry assisted on the only goal of the match, which was converted by Robben. The streak ended in the team's 1–1 draw with 1. FC Nuremberg on 11 April. Six days later, Ribéry scored the final goal in a 5–1 sweeping of Bayer Leverkusen.
on 1 August 2011. Ribéry made his season debut a week later in Bayern's opening league match of the season playing the entire match in a 1–0 loss to Borussia Mönchengladbach. In the following week, he assisted on the game-winning goal, scored by Luiz Gustavo, in a win over VfL Wolfsburg. Ribéry scored his first goal of the campaign in the team's next league match against Hamburger SV. Bayern won the match 5–0. On 10 September, he scored a double and assisted on a goal in a 7–0 home victory over SC Freiburg.
, Ribéry was ever present with the France under-21 team
earning his first selection on 3 September 2004 in a 1–0 victory over Israel
in qualifying
for the 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
. Ribéry scored his first under-21 goal five days later in a 1–0 friendly win over Slovakia
. On 15 November 2005, he scored an important goal against England
during the qualification playoffs as France defeated them 3–2 on aggregate to advance to the finals. Ribéry, however, missed the competition after earning selection to coach Raymond Domenech
's pre-World Cup
squad. In total with the under-21s, Ribéry made 13 appearances scoring two goals.
Ribéry earned his first cap with the senior team in a 1–0 victory over Mexico
on 27 May 2006 appearing as a substitute in the 74th minute for striker
David Trézéguet
. His solid performances in the friendly matches ahead of the 2006 FIFA World Cup
led to his inclusion in the team for the competition. Ribéry appeared in all seven matches France contested, starting six. On 27 June, he scored France's opening goal in the team's 3–1 Round of 16 win over Spain
after receiving a through ball from Patrick Vieira
, which allowed the winger to dribble past an oncoming Iker Casillas
and shoot into the empty net. He later played in the final
where France lost to Italy
on penalties. Ribéry's only shot on goal came in extra time and he was later replaced by Trézéguet.
Following the retirement of Zinedine Zidane
, it was expected that Ribéry would succeed him and become the national team's talisman. He went scoreless for almost a year and a half before converting a penalty shot against England
on 26 March 2008 at the Stade de France
. Following the goal, Ribéry paid tribute to legendary French commentator Thierry Gilardi
who had passed away a day earlier. At Euro 2008, France performed under expectations with Ribéry appearing in all three group stage matches as France suffered early elimination. On 17 June 2008, in the team's final group stage match against Italy
, Ribéry ruptured a ligament in his left ankle in just the 8th minute of play. Ribéry returned to the team on 11 October 2008 in a FIFA World Cup qualification match
against Romania
and scored the team's opening goal in a 2–2 draw. On 28 March 2009, he scored the lone goal away to Lithuania
. Three days later, he completed this feat again, this time at the Stade de France, netting the winner in the 75th minute following service from André-Pierre Gignac
.
On 11 May 2010, Ribéry was named to Domenech's 30-man preliminary squad to participate in the 2010 FIFA World Cup
and his second World Cup overall. He was later named to the 23-man team to compete in the competition. Ribéry appeared in all three group stage matches. Following the team's opening match against Uruguay
, Ribéry was criticized for his performance by former international Just Fontaine
with the former striker
questioning Ribéry's leadership ability. It was later reported by the media that Ribéry and striker Nicolas Anelka
purposely "froze-out" midfielder
Yoann Gourcuff
. Anelka was later dismissed from the team after reportedly having a dispute, in which obscenities were passed, with Domenech during half-time of the team's 2–0 loss to Mexico. On 20 June, an emotional Ribéry appeared, alongside Domenech, on TF1
's football show Téléfoot
to dispelled any rumors associated with the team and to also apologize to supporters for the national team's performance over the past two years stating that "We (France) are suffering at the moment" and "I would like to say sorry to the whole country". The following day, the team boycotted a training session in response to Anelka's expulsion and, on 21 June, returned to training without incident. In the team's final group stage match against the hosts South Africa
, Ribéry assisted on the team's only goal of the competition scored by Florent Malouda
. France lost the match 2–1, which resulted in the team's elimination from the competition. On 6 August, Ribéry was one of five players summoned to attend a hearing held by the Disciplinary Committee of the French Football Federation in response to the team's strike held at the World Cup. On 17 August, he received a three-match international ban for his part in the incident. Ribéry did not attend the hearing due to his parent club's objection.
On 17 March 2011, Ribéry was called up to the national team by new manager Laurent Blanc
for the first time since the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He had been eligible to return to the team since October 2010 after serving his three-match suspension, however, due to injuries, Ribéry missed three call-ups. On 21 March, after arriving to Clairefontaine ahead of the team's matches against Luxembourg
and Croatia
, Ribéry attended a personal press conference in which he apologized for his behavior overall during the 2010 calendar year. He made his return to the team on 25 March in the team's match against Luxembourg and responded by assisting on the team's second goal, scored by Gourcuff, in its 2–0 win. In his first match at the Stade de France
since the World Cup against Croatia, Ribéry appeared as a substitute and was subject to jeers from some section of supporters, however, other parts of the stadium chanted his name.
during his development years in France, since establishing himself as an international and at Bayern, Ribéry has personally admitted that his preference is to play on the left wing even going as far as to state "My place is on the left" when asked at a February 2010 media session while on international duty. Though, he is often played on the left wing domestically, Ribéry has struggled to establish himself as a left winger at international level with France due to the presence of left-footed dominant players such as Florent Malouda
. Ribéry has declared that he is best utilized on the left side because "that is where I am most free and I am the best in my head". Playing on the left also allows Ribéry to use his "bursts of acceleration and weaving runs" to effectively cut inside, which gives him the options of either shooting or delivering a decisive pass. Ribéry is also capable of playing in the center of the field as an attacking midfielder where his vision and playmaking skills are best exhibited. Despite predominantly playing on the wing, he has averaged double-digits in assists every year beginning with his final season at Marseille.
Ribéry has been described as a provocateur on the field of play with UEFA
describing him as "a crowd-pleaser – one of those rare breed of footballer capable of enjoying his talents while expressing them". During the 2006 FIFA World Cup
, he was mentored by national team play-maker Zinedine Zidane
. While boasting him as "the jewel of French football", Zidane has also praised Ribéry as a person declaring "Franck just loves life. He’s the kind of player that makes an impression every time he plays. He’s bound to become an important figure in the world of football". Ribéry's on-field personality is often matched off-field as he is often referred to as a "joker" and "prankster" by club and international teammates. The midfielder has stated that humour is very important admitting "It's important to always be smiling, to wake up and feel good. We (footballers) have a great job, we like what we do and we have fun. Two of his more notable off-the-field stunts while at Bayern include, in his debut season, emptying a bucket of water over former club goalkeeper Oliver Kahn
from the roof of the club's training centre, and, during the 2008–09 winter break, commandeering the team bus while in Dubai
and crashing it.
On the negative front, Ribéry has often struggled with injury issues. Since his first season at Bayern in which he appeared in 46 of the club's 54 competitive matches, Ribéry has struggled with minor and serious injuries that has resulted in the player failing to appear in over 40 matches in subsequent seasons. Ahead of the 2008–09 season, he tore ligaments in one of his ankles while on international duty and, during the 2009–10 season, struggled with tendinitis in his left knee. In the next season, Ribéry suffered an ankle injury, which resulted in the midfielder missing two months, despite the initial diagnosis ruling him out for four weeks. He later suffered a similar ankle injury at the start of the 2011–12 season. Ribéry, himself, has admitted that injuries have led to most of his five-year career at Bayern being difficult stating in July 2011 "The last two years (2009–10 and 2010–11 seasons) have been more difficult, partly because I kept picking up injuries. The important thing for me now is to avoid any more injuries".
Marseille
Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
in the Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
. He primarily plays as a winger, preferably on the left side, and is known for "pace, energy, skill and precise passing." Ribéry is described as a player who is "fast, tricky and an excellent dribbler" who "has great control with the ball at his feet". Since joining Bayern, he has been recognised on the world stage as one of the best French players of his generation. The previous talisman of French national team, Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane is a retired French footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Zidane was a leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship...
, has called Ribéry the "jewel of French football".
Ribéry's career began in 1989 as a youth player for local hometown club Conti Boulogne. He left the club after seven years to join professional outfit Lille
Lille OSC
LOSC Lille Métropole is a French association football club based in Lille. The club was founded in 1944 as a result of a merger and currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football. Lille plays its home matches at the Stade Lille-Metropole in nearby Villeneuve-d'Ascq. In 2012, the...
, but departed the club after three years after having difficulties adjusting. In 1999, Ribéry joined US Boulogne
US Boulogne
Union Sportive de Boulogne-sur-Mer Côte d'Opale is a French association football club based in the commune of Boulogne-sur-Mer. The club was founded in 1898 and currently plays in Ligue 2, the second of division of French football, having been relegated from Ligue 1 during the 2009–10 season.The...
, where he played for two years. After spending two more years in the amateur divisions with two different clubs (Alès
Olympique Alès
Olympique Alès is a French association football club founded in 1923, based in the commune of Alès. The Cévennes club currently playing in the Division d'Honneur Régionale – the seventh division – of the Ligue du Languedoc; the club in the past has played for six seasons in Ligue 1...
and Brest
Stade Brestois 29
Stade Brestois 29 is a French football club based in Brest. The club was founded in 1903 under the name Armoricaine de Brest and adopted its current name in 1950...
), in 2004, Ribéry earned a move to Ligue 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
club FC Metz
FC Metz
Football Club de Metz, commonly referred to as simply Metz , is a French association football club based in Metz. The club was formed in 1932 and has spent most of its history in the Ligue 1, though they currently play in Ligue 2, the second level in French football league system. Metz plays its...
. After six months with the club, Ribéry moved to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
in January 2005 joining Galatasaray
Galatasaray S.K. (football team)
Galatasaray Anonim Şirketi is a Turkish football club, part of the Galatasaray S.K. multi-sport club of Istanbul. Galatasaray is a major sports club in Turkey, holding 17 Turkish Super League titles and the highest number of Turkish Cups....
where he won the Turkish Cup. After six months at Galatasaray, he departed the club in controversial fashion in order to return to France to join Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
. Ribéry spent two seasons at the club helping the Marseillais reach the final of the Coupe de France
Coupe de France
The Coupe Charles Simon, commonly known as the Coupe de France , is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation...
in back-to-back seasons. In 2007, Ribéry joined German club Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
for a then club-record fee of €25 million. With Bayern, he has won the double on two occasions; in the 2007–08 and 2009–10 seasons. In 2010, Ribéry contributed to the team that reached the 2010 UEFA Champions League Final
2010 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2010 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match played at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home of Real Madrid, on Saturday, 22 May 2010, to determine the winners of the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League. It was the first Champions League final to be played on a Saturday, rather than the...
, but was unable to participate in the match due to suspension.
Ribéry is a French international
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
. Prior to representing the senior team, he played at under-21 level
France national under-21 football team
The France national under-21 football team , known in France as Les Espoirs , is the national under-21 football team of France and is controlled by the French Football Federation. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...
. At senior level, Ribéry has represented his nation two FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
s and UEFA Euro 2008. He made his international debut in May 2006 against Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
. At the 2006 World Cup, Ribéry scored his first international goal against Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
and played in the final match
2006 FIFA World Cup Final
The 2006 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match that took place on 9 July 2006 at the Olympiastadion, Berlin to determine the winner of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Italy beat France on penalties after the match finished 1–1 after extra time...
against Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
. Individually, Ribéry is a two-time winner of the French Player of the Year award and has also won the German Footballer of the Year
German Footballer of the Year
The title Footballer of the Year has been awarded in Germany since 1960. In 1996 the title Women's Footballer of the Year was awarded for the first time. Both awards are determined by a poll of German football journalists from the Association of German Sports Journalists and the publication Kicker...
becoming the first player to hold both honours. He has also been named to the UEFA Team of the Year
UEFA Team of the Year
The UEFA Team of the Year is a football award given by UEFA through a poll on its . This award started in 2001 to allow users and visitors of the organization's website to choose their own eleven players and a coach based on their overall performances in European club football and international...
and declared the Young Player of the Year in France.
Personal life
Ribéry was born on 7 April 1983 in Boulogne-sur-MerBoulogne-sur-Mer
-Road:* Metropolitan bus services are operated by the TCRB* Coach services to Calais and Dunkerque* A16 motorway-Rail:* The main railway station is Gare de Boulogne-Ville and located in the south of the city....
and raised in a low-income neighbourhood on the fringes of the city. When he was two years old, he and his family were involved in a car accident in his hometown, colliding with a truck. Ribéry suffered serious facial injuries that resulted in over one hundred stitches and left two long scars down the right side of his face. Prior to joining Stade Brestois
Stade Brestois 29
Stade Brestois 29 is a French football club based in Brest. The club was founded in 1903 under the name Armoricaine de Brest and adopted its current name in 1950...
in 2003, he worked as a construction worker
Construction worker
A construction worker or builder is a professional, tradesman, or labourer who directly participates in the physical construction of infrastructure.-Construction trades:...
with his father, which Ribéry referred to as a "learning experience". Ribéry's younger brother François is also a football player, and has played for numerous amateur clubs in France. François plays for Bayonne
Aviron Bayonnais FC
Aviron Bayonnais Football Club is a French association football club based in Bayonne. The club is a part of a sports club that was formed in 1904 that is also known for its rugby union club. The football club was founded in 1935 and currently play in the Championnat National, the third level of...
in the Championnat National. Ribéry's wife, Wahiba, is a French national of Algerian descent and the couple have two daughters and a son. Ribéry is a convert to Islam and, following his conversion, adopted the name Bilal Yusuf Mohammed.
Since establishing himself as an international, Ribéry has been involved in numerous promotional campaigns. For the 2008–09 season, he appeared, alongside international teammate Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema is a French international footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings and is known for his technical ability, powerful style of play, and vast goal-scoring ability...
, on the French cover of video game FIFA 09
FIFA 09
FIFA 09 is the 2008 installment of Electronic Arts' FIFA series of football video games. Developed by EA Canada, it is published by Electronic Arts worldwide under the EA Sports label. It was released in October 2008 for Windows, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii,...
. Ribéry is sponsored by American sportswear company Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
and regularly wears Nike Mercurial Vapor
Nike Mercurial Vapor
The Mercurial Vapor is a football boot manufactured by Nike. The boot is known for being lightweight. Because of this, the boot is favoured by many players for whom speed is a very important part of their game, notably wingers or strikers...
s. He has appeared in several television advertisements for the brand and, during the 2007–08 Bundesliga season, starred in a one-time television show called "The Franck Ribéry Show", which aired on Direct 8
Direct 8
Direct 8 is a national French TV channel, owned by Vincent Bolloré. It is available through digital terrestrial television network "TNT" and the Astra 1H satellite position....
in France. The show, sponsored by Nike, acted as a variety show with Ribéry appearing in several sketches. On 25 May 2010, a 27 by 30 m (88.6 by 98.4 ft) billboard of Ribéry was officially unveiled in his home city of Boulogne-sur-Mer ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
. The billboard paid tribute to a similar billboard that was erected for Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane is a retired French footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Zidane was a leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship...
in his home city of Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
during his career. The construction of the billboard was initially suspended due to possible image ramifications associated with Ribéry's alleged relationship with an underage prostitute. However, the Regional Council of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region, which initially opposed the billboard, agreed to allow construction of the billboard. The billboard was a project of Ribéry's sponsor Nike and was on display for the duration of the FIFA World Cup.
On 18 April 2010, it was first reported by French television service M6 that four members of the French national team were being investigated for their roles as clients of a prostitution ring that was being operated inside of a Paris nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
with some of the women possibly being underage. The report also stated that two of the players were already questioned as witnesses by judge André Dando and a group of magistrates. The report described the two players as being one who “is a major player in a big foreign club” and that the other “plays in the championship of France Ligue 1". Later that day, the players were discovered to be Ribéry and Sidney Govou
Sidney Govou
Sidney Rodrigue Noukpo Govou is a French international footballer of Beninese descent who currently plays for Évian Thonon Gaillard FC. Govou is a naturally attacking player but rarely plays as a striker, he is more commonly deployed as a winger. His main attribute is his pace...
. During his interview with Dando, Ribéry reportedly admitted to having a relationship with a prostitute, but did not know that she was a minor at the time the relationship began. On 29 April, the country's Secretary of State for Sports Rama Yade
Rama Yade
Rama Yade is a French politician who served in the government of France from 2007 to 2010. She was Secretary of State for Sports and married to Joseph Zimet - son of Yiddish singer Ben Zimet, an adviser to Secretary of State Jean-Marie Bockel.- Early life :Yade was born in Ouakam, Senegal. She...
, after refusing to publicly comment on the case in its infancy, declared that any player placed under investigation should not represent the France national team. The following day, a judicial source confirmed that Ribéry would not be placed under official investigation, if at all, before the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
. On 20 July, Ribéry was questioned by Paris police and, following questioning, was indicted by judge Dando on the charge of "solicitation of a minor prostitute".
Early career
Ribéry began his football career at age six playing in the youth section of amateur club FC Conti de Boulogne-sur-Mer. After a seven-year stay, in 1996, he joined professional outfit LilleLille OSC
LOSC Lille Métropole is a French association football club based in Lille. The club was founded in 1944 as a result of a merger and currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football. Lille plays its home matches at the Stade Lille-Metropole in nearby Villeneuve-d'Ascq. In 2012, the...
, who were playing in the second division
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 , formerly known as Division 2, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel , the other being Ligue 1, the country's top football division...
. While at Lille, Ribéry excelled athletically, but developed academic and behavioral problems, which led to Lille releasing him. After leaving Lille, Ribéry returned to his hometown joining the biggest club in the city, US Boulogne
US Boulogne
Union Sportive de Boulogne-sur-Mer Côte d'Opale is a French association football club based in the commune of Boulogne-sur-Mer. The club was founded in 1898 and currently plays in Ligue 2, the second of division of French football, having been relegated from Ligue 1 during the 2009–10 season.The...
. After spending a year in the reserves, he was promoted to the senior team. Ribéry only made four appearances in his debut season as Boulogne, who were playing in the CFA, the fourth division of French football, earned promotion to third-tier Championnat National
Championnat National
The Championnat de France National, commonly referred to as simply National or Division 3, serves as the third division of the French football league system behind Ligue 1 and Ligue 2...
. In his second season with the club, Ribéry appeared in 25 league matches converting five goals. Though Boulogne finished 17th, which meant a return to the fourth division, Ribéry's solid performances earned him a move to fellow National club Olympique Alès
Olympique Alès
Olympique Alès is a French association football club founded in 1923, based in the commune of Alès. The Cévennes club currently playing in the Division d'Honneur Régionale – the seventh division – of the Ligue du Languedoc; the club in the past has played for six seasons in Ligue 1...
. In his only season at the club, Ribéry made 18 appearances scoring only one goal. Following the season, despite finishing safe, Alès were relegated to the Division d'Honneur, the sixth division of French football, by the DNCG
Direction Nationale du Contrôle de Gestion
The Direction Nationale du Contrôle de Gestion is the organization responsible for monitoring and overseeing the accounts of professional association football clubs in France. It was founded in 1984 and is an administrative directorate of the Ligue de Football Professionnel...
after the club declared bankruptcy. The resulting news led to Ribéry signing with Stade Brest
Stade Brestois 29
Stade Brestois 29 is a French football club based in Brest. The club was founded in 1903 under the name Armoricaine de Brest and adopted its current name in 1950...
, another Championnat National club. At Brest, Ribéry established himself as a premier player in the league appearing in 35 league matches scoring three goals. Ribéry's performance and the team as a whole led to the club finishing second in the league, thus earning promotion to Ligue 2
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 , formerly known as Division 2, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel , the other being Ligue 1, the country's top football division...
. Despite the success with Brest, Ribéry sought to play in Ligue 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
, the top division of French football. His dream came to fruition when FC Metz
FC Metz
Football Club de Metz, commonly referred to as simply Metz , is a French association football club based in Metz. The club was formed in 1932 and has spent most of its history in the Ligue 1, though they currently play in Ligue 2, the second level in French football league system. Metz plays its...
's manager Jean Fernandez
Jean Fernandez
Jean Fernandez is a football manager, currently manages AS Nancy. He has previously managed FC Metz and Olympique Marseille, where French national team star Franck Ribéry saw him as a mentor...
took a liking to him and recruited him on a free transfer.
Ribéry only spent half a season at Metz, but impressed earning the UNFP Player of the Month
UNFP Player of the Month
The UNFP Player of the Month trophy is awarded to the best player in the French football championship Ligue 1 by the UNFP, RTL and L'Équipe.A similar award goes to the best player in Ligue 2 and is set up by the UNFP, France Football and Eurosport....
in August 2004. He scored his only league goal for Metz on 6 November in the team's 1–1 draw with Toulouse
Toulouse FC
Toulouse Football Club is a French association football club based in the city of Toulouse. The club was founded in 1970 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Toulouse plays its home matches at the Stadium Municipal located within the city. The first team is managed by...
. His stellar play on the right side of midfield led to Metz supporters comparing him to Robert Pirès
Robert Pirès
Robert Emmanuel Pirès is a former French international footballer. He is perhaps best known for his time with Arsenal, with whom he won three FA Cups and two FA Premier League titles including the club's famous unbeaten season of 2003–04...
, a former Metz legend. After negotiations on an extension ended in a stalemate, in January 2005, Ribéry relocated to Turkey. There he joined Galatasaray on an initial loan deal; the Istanbul-based outfit had the right to pay Metz €2 million to make the move permanent.
At Galatasaray, Ribéry was brought in by manager Gheorghe Hagi
Gheorghe Hagi
Gheorghe Hagi is a former Romanian footballer. He was famous for his passing, close control, long shots and was regarded as one of the best attacking midfielders in Europe during the 1980s and 1990s and is considered the greatest Romanian footballer of all time...
and appeared in 14 league matches as the club finished in 3rd place position. While playing for the club, Galatasaray supporters nicknamed him Ferraribery, in reference to his quick acceleration with the ball at his feet and also Scarface, due to a large scar located on the right side of his face. In the Turkish Cup, Ribéry was instrumental in the club's 5–1 thrashing of rivals Fenerbahçe in the competition's ultimate match
2005 Turkish Cup Final
The 2005 Turkish Cup Final was a football match played on 11 May 2005 at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul. It was the final and deciding match of the 2004–05 Türkiye Kupası .-Match details:-References:...
. He scored the opening goal in the 16th minute and also assisted on another goal. Ribéry was later substituted out in the 52th minute with Galatasaray leading 3–1. The trophy was Ribéry's first major honour.
Move to Marseille and CAS ruling
On 15 June 2005, Ribéry announced that he would be returning to France joining Olympique de MarseilleOlympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
on a five-year contract, thus reuniting with former manager Jean Fernandez. The move was considered surprising to Galatasaray as Ribéry had three years remaining on his contract after the club paid Metz €2 million to make the loan move permanent on 30 March. Ribéry argued that he had not been paid his wages by the club and asked FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
, the sport's governing body
Sport governing body
A sport governing body is a sports organization that has a regulatory or sanctioning function. Sport governing bodies come in various forms, and have a variety of regulatory functions. Examples of this can include disciplinary action for rule infractions and deciding on rule changes in the sport...
, to invalidate his contract. He also confirmed that, at one point during the season, he was threatened with a baseball bat by his former agent and a Galatasaray director. A day after announcing his move, Galatasaray officials and manager Eric Gerets blasted the player for betraying the club and also announced their intent to ask FIFA to probe the situation. In July 2005, FIFA ruled in favor of Ribéry and dismissed Galatasaray's claims of the player being at fault. In response, the Turkish club announced their decision to challenge FIFA's ruling by appealing to the international Court of Arbitration for Sport
Court of Arbitration for Sport
The Court of Arbitration for Sport is an international arbitration body set up to settle disputes related to sport. Its headquarters are in Lausanne and its courts are located in New York, Sydney and Lausanne, Switzerland...
. On 25 April 2007, their appeal was dismissed by the court, who declared in a statement that Ribéry had terminated his contract with the Turkish club at the end of the 2004–05 season on just grounds, and that Galatasaray was therefore not entitled to any compensation. Galatasaray had sought €10 million in compensation from Marseille.
2005–06 season
Upon his arrival, Ribéry was handed the number 7 shirt and made his debut on 30 July 2005 in a 2–0 defeat to BordeauxFC Girondins de Bordeaux
Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux is a French association football club based in the city of Bordeaux. The club currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, and won its last Ligue 1 title in the 2008–09 season....
collecting a yellow card. On 17 September, he scored his first goal for the club in their 2–1 victory over Troyes
Troyes AC
Espérance Sportive Troyes Aube Champagne is a French association football club, based in Troyes. It was founded in 1900. The club was promoted to Ligue 1 for the 2005–06 season and their first Ligue 1 season was in 1954/55, and their second spell came in 1999/2000 Espérance Sportive Troyes Aube...
. Two weeks later, Ribéry netted goals in back-to-back matches in victories over his former club Metz and Nice
OGC Nice
Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d'Azur is a French association football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top-tier of French football. Nice plays its home matches at the Stade Municipal du Ray located within the city. In 2013, the club is...
. On 19 November, Ribéry scored the game-winning goal in a 2–1 win over Nantes. The goal, scored from almost 35 metres (1,378 in) out, was later voted the goal of the season by supporters. In the Coupe de France, Ribéry performed well scoring a double against Le Havre
Le Havre AC
Le Havre Athletic Club Football Association is a French association football club based in Le Havre. The club was founded originally as an athletics and rugby club in 1872, thus making it the oldest association football and rugby club registered in France...
and scoring the opening goal in Marseille's 3–1 semi-final victory over Rennes. The win pushed Marseille through to the 2006 final
Coupe de France Final 2006
The Coupe de France Final 2006 was a football match held at Stade de France, Saint-Denis on April 29, 2006, that saw Paris SG defeat Olympique de Marseille 2-1 thanks to goals by Bonaventure Kalou and Vikash Dhorasoo.-Match details:...
where they faced Le Classique
Le Classique
Le Classique , also known as Derby de France, is a football match contested between French top-flight clubs Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique de Marseille. The term "Le Classique" is modeled on the El Clásico, contested between Real Madrid and Barcelona. These meetings became important during the...
rivals Paris Saint-Germain, which merited Ribéry his second consecutive cup final appearance. Unfortunately, Marseille faltered losing 2–1 to the Parisian club. In Europe
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
, Ribéry scored two goals in the UEFA Intertoto Cup against Italian club Lazio
S.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...
and Spanish outfit Deportivo de La Coruña
Deportivo de La Coruña
Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña is a professional football club based in the city of A Coruña, Galicia; founded in 1906 and currently playing in Segunda División...
. In the UEFA Cup, he scored one goal converting it in the second leg of Marseille's Round of 32 tie with Premier League club Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
. Ribéry was later named the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year by the UNFP.
2006–07 season
Following Ribéry's success internationally at the 2006 FIFA World Cup2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, a bidding war occurred in order to obtain his services with English club Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
initially offering €15 million for the player. However, Arsenal would be trumped by Spanish club Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
, who offered €30 million for the Frenchman, according to Marseille directors. Rivals Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
also sought Ribéry's services with president Pape Diouf
Pape Diouf
Mababa "Pape" Diouf is a Senegalese former journalist, best known for being the president of French football club Olympique Marseille between 2005 and 2009.Diouf was born in Abéché, Chad, to Senegalese parents...
accusing Jean-Michel Aulas
Jean-Michel Aulas
Jean-Michel Aulas is a French businessman. He is the founder and CEO of CEGID and serves as the owner and chairman of French football club Olympique Lyonnais whom he has owned since 1987. Aulas has also expanded his branch of football knowledge through Europe...
of tapping-up
Tapping-up
In professional team sports, tapping up or tampering is an attempt to persuade a player contracted to one team to transfer to another team, without the knowledge or permission of the player's current team. This kind of approach is often made through the player's agent...
Ribéry after it was discovered that the Lyon chairman visited the France national team and Ribéry himself during the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Diouf later threatened to report Aulas to the Ligue de Football Professionnel
Ligue de Football Professionnel
The Ligue de Football Professionnel , commonly known as the LFP, is a French governing body that runs the major professional football leagues in France. It was founded in 1944 and serves under the authority of the French Football Federation...
for his actions. He also went as far as to accuse Ribéry's former agent, Bruno Heiderscheid, of badly advising the player. Despite the tumultuous summer, Marseille continued to declare the player off limits with Ribéry having nearly four years left on his contract. On 11 August 2006, Ribéry confirmed his intentions to remain at the club for the 2006–07 season.
Ribéry's now heightened popularity saw increased speculation from writers and supporters that Marseille would finally win their first league title since the 1991–92 season. He began the 2006–07 campaign on a high note scoring in the club's second match of the season against Auxerre
AJ Auxerre
Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise is a French association football club based in the commune of Auxerre in Burgundy. The club was founded in 1905 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Auxerre plays its home matches at the Stade l'Abbé-Deschamps on the banks of the...
in a 3–0 trouncing. However, through the rest of the fall season, Ribéry went cold going scoreless. On 11 November 2006, he suffered a serious groin injury in Marseille's 1–0 loss to Lille. The resulting injury led to Ribéry missing the rest of the fall season returning following the winter break. On his return in January, Ribéry netted two goals in another win over Auxerre. The following month, Ribéry suffered a fractured foot in a match against Toulouse
Toulouse FC
Toulouse Football Club is a French association football club based in the city of Toulouse. The club was founded in 1970 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Toulouse plays its home matches at the Stadium Municipal located within the city. The first team is managed by...
. The injury required him to miss four league matches, as well as a Coupe de France match. In April 2007, Ribéry finished the league season by scoring in back-to-back weeks against Sochaux
FC Sochaux-Montbéliard
Football Club Sochaux-Montbéliard is a French association football club based in the city of Montbéliard. The club was founded in 1928 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top tier of French football. Sochaux plays its home matches at the Stade Auguste Bonal located within the city...
in a 4–2 win and Monaco
AS Monaco FC
Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club are a French football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. The club was founded in 1924 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. The team plays its home matches at the Stade Louis II located within Fontvieille...
in another victory. In the Coupe de France, Marseille again reached the final with Ribéry, for the second straight season, putting them there scoring the game-winning goal in a 3–0 semi-final win over Nantes. In the final
Coupe de France Final 2007
The Coupe de France Final 2007 was a football match held at Stade de France, Saint-Denis on May 12, 2007, that saw FC Sochaux-Montbéliard defeat Olympique de Marseille in a penalty shoot out. After normal time and extra-time could not separate the two sides, the match was to be decided on penalty...
, Marseille were heavy favorites over Sochaux, a team they had completely dominated just 12 days prior. However, Sochaux recorded an upset victory defeating Marseille 5–4 on penalties after the match ended 2–2 following extra time. Ribéry's final match with Marseille was a 1–0 win over Sedan
CS Sedan Ardennes
Club Sportif Sedan Ardennes, commonly referred to as CS Sedan or simply Sedan , is a French association football club based in Sedan. The club was formed in 1919 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second level of French football. Sedan plays its home matches at the Stade Louis Dugauguez located...
on the final match day of the season. The victory secured 2nd place for Marseille and was their best finish since finishing runner-up to Bordeaux during the 1998–99 season. Following the season, Ribéry was awarded the France Football Magazine's French Player of the Year award. The honor ended the four-year reign of Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...
.
Bayern Munich
2007–08 season
On 7 June 2007, German club Bayern MunichFC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
announced that they had reached an agreement with Marseille for the transfer of Ribéry with the player agreeing to a four-year deal and Bayern paying Marseille a then club-record €25 million. Ribéry was given the number 7 shirt, which was freed up due to the retirement of midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
Mehmet Scholl
Mehmet Scholl
Mehmet Scholl is a former German football player with Turkish-German ancestry. He played most of his career as an attacking midfielder for Bayern Munich...
at the end of the previous season. He made his team début one month later, scoring twice in an 18–0 friendly
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
drubbing of Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
youth side FT Gern. Ribéry made his competitive debut for Bayern on 21 July 2007 against Werder Bremen
SV Werder Bremen
SV Werder Bremen is a German sports club best known for its association football team playing in Bremen, in the northwest German federal state of the same name. The club was founded on 4 February 1899 as Fußballverein Werder by a group of sixteen vocational high school students who had won a prize...
in the first round of the Premiere Ligapokal scoring twice and also assisting on another in a 4–1 victory. In the semifinals, he netted an early goal in a 2–0 win over defending champions VfB Stuttgart
VfB Stuttgart
Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V., commonly known as VfB Stuttgart, is a German sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The club is best known for its football team, which has participated in all but two Bundesliga seasons...
. Due to injury Ribéry was unable to play in the final, which Bayern won.
Ribéry scored his first league goal for the club on 18 August in a 4–0 triumph over Bremen converting a penalty in the 31st minute. He went scoreless in the league for almost two months before scoring a goal and providing the assist on Bayern's other goal in a 2–1 win over Bochum
VfL Bochum
Verein für Leibesübungen Bochum 1848 Fußballgemeinschaft, commonly referred to as simply VfL Bochum, is a German association football club based in the city of Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia.-Founding to World War II:...
. A month later, Ribéry recorded this feat again providing the assist on the opening goal scored by Miroslav Klose
Miroslav Klose
Miroslav Josef Klose is a German footballer who plays as a striker for Lazio in the Serie A. Since bursting onto the international stage at the 2002 World Cup, he has become well known for his knack of scoring headers, front-flip goal celebrations, and decisive short passing.Klose holds German...
and scoring the game winning goal in a 2–1 win over Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg is a professional German association football club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, who play in the Bundesliga football competition. Wolfsburg have won the Bundesliga once in their history, in the 2008–09 season, and were DFB-Pokal runners-up in 1995. The current head coach is Felix...
. In the German Cup
DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
, he recorded two goals and provided four assists in five matches Bayern Munich contested. He netted his first goal in the competition on 27 February 2008 in Bayern's win over inner-city rivals 1860 Munich
TSV 1860 München
Turn- und Sportverein München von 1860, commonly known as TSV 1860 München or 1860 Munich, is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. The club's football team plays in the Second Bundesliga, after relegation from the Bundesliga following the 2003–04 season...
with Ribéry converting the lone goal, a penalty, in the final minute of extra time. In the semifinals, Ribéry scored the opening goal in Bayern's 2–0 win over Wolfsburg, which resulted in the club qualifying for the final where they faced Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
. In the competition's ultimate match, Ribéry assisted on Luca Toni
Luca Toni
Luca Toni, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus. He has had successful spells at top clubs such as Palermo, Fiorentina, Bayern Munich, and Roma...
's opener in the 11th minute. Bayern won the match 2–1, claiming their 14th cup title.
In the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
, Bayern reached the semi-finals with Ribéry scoring three goals in the competition including one in the Germans' comeback win over Spanish club Getafe
Getafe CF
Getafe Club de Fútbol is a Spanish La Liga football club based in Getafe, a city in the Madrid metropolitan area, founded in 1946 and refounded in 1983.In the top level since 2004-05, it holds home games at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez....
in the quarterfinals. In total, Ribéry appeared in 46 matches scoring 16 goals and assisting on 17 goals as Bayern won the league and cup double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
. For his efforts, on 8 June 2008, Ribéry was named the 2007–08 German Footballer of the Year. He was also named the French Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.
2008–09 season
Due to tearing ligaments in his ankle at Euro 2008, Ribéry began the season with Bayern on 24 September 2008 in a German Cup match against Nuremberg appearing as a substitute in the 65th minute. He made his league debut three days later and, after a month of play, scored his first goal of the season in Bayern's 4–2 comeback win over WolfsburgVfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg is a professional German association football club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, who play in the Bundesliga football competition. Wolfsburg have won the Bundesliga once in their history, in the 2008–09 season, and were DFB-Pokal runners-up in 1995. The current head coach is Felix...
. Following the match, Ribéry proceeded to go on a goal-scoring rampage converting at least one goal in five straight league matches with the club going undefeated in that span. On 10 December, Ribéry capped the 2008 portion of the season by scoring a goal and provided the assists on the other two in Bayern's 3–2 victory over Lyon
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
in the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
. For his performances during the 2008 calendar year, he finished third behind Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH, , commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger or striker for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and is the captain of the Portuguese national team...
and Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi is an Argentine footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and captains the Argentina national team, mainly as a striker. Messi received several Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21, and won in 2009 and 2010...
for the Onze d'Or
Onze d'Or
The Onze d'Or is a football award handed out by French magazine Onze Mondial at the end of the year since 1976...
. Ribéry was also shortlisted by the French magazine France Football
France Football
France Football is a French bi-weekly magazine containing football news from all over the world. It's one of the most reputable sports publications in Europe, mostly because of their photographic reports and accurate statistics of the big European Cup matches, and extensive coverage of the European...
for the 2008 Ballon d'Or
Ballon d'Or 2008
The 2008 Ballon d'Or, given to the best football player in the world as judged by an international panel of sports journalists, was awarded to Cristiano Ronaldo on 2 December 2008....
award, won by Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH, , commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger or striker for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and is the captain of the Portuguese national team...
.
Ribéry's 2009 debut saw Bayern earn a 5–1 German Cup win over Stuttgart with the player scoring and also providing an assist. On 24 February 2009, he scored a double in the club's 5–0 win over Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
club Sporting in the first leg of their Round of 16 clash. Bayern were later eliminated 5–1 on aggregate by Spanish champions Barcelona in the next round with Ribéry scoring a consolation goal in the second leg. In the league, Bayern failed to defend their Bundesliga title, despite suffering defeat only twice in their final 13 matches, losing out to Wolfsburg. Ribéry ended the season with 36 total appearances scoring 14 goals and issuing 19 assists.
2009–10 season
Following the 2008–09 season, constant speculation began to surface regarding Ribéry's availability on the transfer market. Despite Bayern president Uli Hoeneß, executive Karl-Heinz RummeniggeKarl-Heinz Rummenigge
Karl-Heinz "Kalle" Rummenigge is a German former football player.He had his greatest career success with German club Bayern Munich, where he won the Intercontinental Cup, the European Cup, as well as two league titles and two domestic cups.A member of the German national team, Rummenigge won the...
, and new manager Louis van Gaal
Louis van Gaal
Aloysius Paulus Maria "Louis" van Gaal OON is a Dutch football manager formerly in charge of Ajax, Netherlands, Barcelona, AZ and Bayern Munich...
declaring that Ribéry would not be sold, numerous media outlets declared that English clubs Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
and Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, Spanish clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
, and Italian outfit Internazionale had strong interest in the player with many of the clubs willing to offer as much as €65 million for the player. In order to quell the interest, Hoeneß declared that Ribéry would leave for nothing less than €100 million.
Ribéry started the 2009–10 season struggling with tendonitis
Tendonitis
Tendinitis , meaning inflammation of a tendon , is a type of tendinopathy often confused with the more common tendinosis, which has similar symptoms but requires different treatment...
in his left knee, but was healthy enough to start the season scoring his first goal in a 5–1 victory against Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
converting a free kick. The goal was notable in part due to Ribéry's celebration afterward. Following his conversion of the free kick goal, Ribéry ran across the field eluding several celebratory teammates and enthusiastically jumped into his manager Louis van Gaal's awaiting arms. The mutual show of admiration ended speculation by the media of the two having a bad relationship. In early October, the tendinitis began to affect his play, which resulted in Ribéry missing the rest of the year, as well as France's World Cup playoff tie with the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
. Ribéry returned to the team on 23 January 2010 appearing as a substitute in the club's 3–2 league win over Werder Bremen. Ribéry's first goal of the new year came on 10 February scoring in Bayern's 6–2 DFB-Pokal
DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
victory over SpVgg Greuther Fürth
SpVgg Greuther Fürth
SpVgg Greuther Fürth is a German association football club based in Fürth, Bavaria. The club was formed when the senior football side of newcomer Turn- und Sportverein Vestenbergsgreuth joined traditional club Spielvereinigung Fürth on 1 July 1996...
. On 31 March, he scored the equalizing goal in Bayern's 2–1 first leg win over English club Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
in the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
quarterfinals after converting a free kick
Direct free kick
A direct free kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football following a foul. Unlike an indirect free kick, a goal may be scored directly against the opposing side without the ball having first touched another player.-Award:...
, which deflected off of striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Mark Rooney is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team...
before going into the net. In the club's ensuing match, Ribéry scored the opening goal in the team's 2–1 victory over Schalke
FC Schalke 04
Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...
.
On 20 April, Ribéry was sent off by referee
Referee
A referee is the person of authority, in a variety of sports, who is responsible for presiding over the game from a neutral point of view and making on the fly decisions that enforce the rules of the sport...
Roberto Rosetti
Roberto Rosetti
Roberto Rosetti is a former Italian football referee. He is fluent in Italian, English and French. He started refereeing in 1983, and took charge of his first match in the Italian Serie A in 1996. He received his FIFA Badge in 2002...
in the club's first leg UEFA Champions League semi-final against Lyon
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
after being adjudged to have committed serious foul play on Lyon striker Lisandro
Lisandro López
Lisandro López , sometimes known as Lisandro, is an Argentine footballer who plays for Olympique Lyonnais in France.Primarily a striker, he is also capable of playing on the wings....
. The expulsion resulted in Ribéry missing the second leg in Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, which Bayern won to advance to the UEFA Champions League final
2010 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2010 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match played at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home of Real Madrid, on Saturday, 22 May 2010, to determine the winners of the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League. It was the first Champions League final to be played on a Saturday, rather than the...
. On 28 April, Ribéry was handed a three-match suspension by UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
's Control and Disciplinary Body for assault. The suspension meant that Ribéry would miss the final. Following the ruling, Bayern Munich announced their intent to appeal the suspension. On 5 May, the club's appeal was heard by the UEFA Appeals Body and Ribéry's ban was upheld which meant that not only would Ribéry miss the final on 22 May, but he would also miss the next UEFA club competition fixture for which he is eligible. However, immediately after the ruling, Bayern responded by announcing their intent to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. On 15 May, Ribéry scored the third goal in Bayern's 4–0 win over Werder Bremen
SV Werder Bremen
SV Werder Bremen is a German sports club best known for its association football team playing in Bremen, in the northwest German federal state of the same name. The club was founded on 4 February 1899 as Fußballverein Werder by a group of sixteen vocational high school students who had won a prize...
in the 2009–10 edition of the DFB-Pokal final. Two days later, Ribéry's appeal was heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport and was dismissed meaning he was officially ruled out of the UEFA Champions League final against Inter
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
on 22 May. Bayern Munich lost the match 2–0. On 20 May, it was announced by German newspaper Bild that Ribéry had agreed to a new five-year contract with Bayern Munich and that the player would sign the contract upon his arrival in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
to watch his teammates contest the UEFA Champions League final. On 23 May, the day after the final, the club officially confirmed the agreement. The new deal ties Ribéry to the club until 2015 and, though there is uncertainty regarding the annual salary, it has been speculated that the new deal pays him an annual salary of €10 million a year, the highest annual salary ever awarded to a player in the club's history.
2010–11 season
Ribéry began the 2010–11 season2010–11 in German football
-Diary of the season:7 August 2010 – Defending Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich defeat Schalke 04 2–0 to win the DFL Supercup. The first games in the women's DFB-Pokal are played.13 August 2010 – The DFB-Pokal kicks off...
healthy for the first time since his debut season with the club. He was among the first World Cup players to arrive to pre-season training and made his season debut on 16 August 2010 in Bayern's 4–0 victory over Germania Windeck in the 1st round of the DFB-Pokal
2010–11 DFB-Pokal
The 2010–11 DFB-Pokal was the sixty-eighth season of the annual German football cup competition. It commenced on the weekend around 14 August 2010 with the matches of Round 1 and concluded on 21 May 2011 with the final at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin...
. In the match, Ribéry scored his first goal of the season. Four days later, he assisted on the game-winning goal, scored by Bastian Schweinsteiger
Bastian Schweinsteiger
Bastian Schweinsteiger is a German footballer who plays as a midfielder for Bayern Munich and the German national team. A right-footed player, he is capable of playing out wide or in a more central role....
, in the team's opening league match against Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg is a professional German association football club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, who play in the Bundesliga football competition. Wolfsburg have won the Bundesliga once in their history, in the 2008–09 season, and were DFB-Pokal runners-up in 1995. The current head coach is Felix...
. On 21 September, Ribéry was forced to leave the team's 2–1 win over Hoffenheim after suffering an ankle injury. The injury was discovered to be serious and Ribéry was ruled out for four weeks.
Despite the initial diagnosis, Ribéry missed two months and returned to the team on 14 November in a league match against Nuremberg. A week later, Ribéry was criticized by manager Louis Van Gaal for his performance in a friendly match against Unterhaching
SpVgg Unterhaching
Spielvereinigung Unterhaching is a German sports club in Unterhaching, a semi-rural municipality on the southern outskirts of the Bavarian capital Munich....
, which was organized to help Ribéry and other injured first-team players regain full fitness. Though Van Gaal was disappointed in several of his players' performances, he singled out Ribéry stating "he (Ribéry) didn't make any effort and showed no commitment". Ribéry did, however, remain in contention to appear in the team's next league match against Bayer Leverkusen. He, subsequently, appeared in the match as a substitute in the 61st minute. On 8 December, Ribéry scored a double in a 3–0 victory over Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
club Basel
FC Basel
Fussball Club Basel 1893, widely known as FC Basel is a Swiss football club based in Basel. They are one of the most successful clubs in Swiss football, having won the Swiss Super League 14 times, the third most for any Swiss club. They were most successful in the late 1960s and 1970s, winning the...
in the Champions League. On 15 January, in Bayern's first league match following the winter break against Wolfsburg, Ribéry suffered a lower leg injury in the first half as a result of a tackle by Brazi
Brazi
Brazi is a commune in Prahova County, Romania. It is composed of six villages: Băteşti, Brazii de Jos, Brazii de Sus , Negoieşti, Popeşti and Stejaru.In 1948 it had a population of 1,530....
ian midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
Josué
Josué Anunciado de Oliveira
Josué Anunciado de Oliveira, or simply Josué , is a Brazilian defensive midfielder. He currently plays for German Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg.-Club career:...
. Initial media reports described the injury as serious with Ribéry possibly having to undergo surgery to repair torn ligaments. However, after further medical analysis, the injury was only reduced to a sprain and Ribéry subsequently missed two weeks. He returned to the team on 5 February in a league match against Köln
1. FC Köln
1. FC Köln is a German association football club based in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia. It was formed in 1948 as a merger of the clubs Kölner Ballspiel-Club 1901 and SpVgg Sülz 07....
. On 12 February, Ribéry assisted on two goals in a 4–0 win over Hoffenheim.
Following the team's 3–1 league win over FSV Mainz
1. FSV Mainz 05
1. Fußball- und Sportverein Mainz 05 e. V., usually shortened to 1. FSV Mainz 05, Mainz 05, or simply Mainz, is a 1905 founded German association football club based in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate. In addition to the football section the 1. FSV Mainz 05 has a handball and table tennis department...
on 19 February, Ribéry embarked on a streak in which he charted a statistical output in Bayern's next five league matches. On 26 February, he assisted on the team's only goal in its 3–1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
. In the next match against Hannover 96
Hannover 96
Hannoverscher Sportverein von 1896, commonly referred to as Hannover 96, Hannover or simply 96, is a German association football club based in the city of Hanover, Lower Saxony.-Foundation to WWII:...
, he repeated his feat from the previous match assisted on an Arjen Robben
Arjen Robben
Arjen Robben is a Dutch footballer who plays for the German Bundesliga club Bayern Munich. Though often classified as a forward, he usually plays behind the forwards as a winger, and he is also known for his dribbling skills...
goal in another defeat. On 12 March, Ribéry had arguably his best performance of the season after scoring a goal and providing three assists in a 6–0 hammering of Hamburger SV
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
. In Bayern's following match against SC Freiburg
SC Freiburg
Sport-Club Freiburg, commonly known as SC Freiburg, is a German association football club, based in the city of Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg. SC Freiburg has played in the Bundesliga, the top tier of German football, since their promotion in 2009...
, he assisted on the team's opening goal, scored by Mario Gomez
Mario Gómez
Mario Gómez García is a German footballer who plays as a striker for FC Bayern Munich in the German Bundesliga. Gómez joined Bayern after six years in Stuttgart. The fee was a record for a player transferred in the Bundesliga, estimated to be 30–35 million euro...
, and then netted the game-winning goal two minutes from time in a 2–1 win. Against Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach is a German association football club based in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia. The team plays in the Bundesliga and is one of the country's most well-known, well-supported, and successful teams. Borussia Mönchengladbach has over 40,000 members and is the sixth...
on 2 April, Ribéry assisted on the only goal of the match, which was converted by Robben. The streak ended in the team's 1–1 draw with 1. FC Nuremberg on 11 April. Six days later, Ribéry scored the final goal in a 5–1 sweeping of Bayer Leverkusen.
2011–12 season
Prior to the start of the 2011–12 season, Ribéry suffered an ankle injury during a pre-season training session, which resulted in the player being carried from the training ground by members of the club's medical team. Despite the player himself fearing he may have torn ligaments in the ankle, after an examination, club doctors revealed that the injury wasn't as serious as first thought and Ribéry missed only one competitive match; a 3–0 DFP-Pokal away win over Eintracht BraunschweigEintracht Braunschweig
Eintracht Braunschweig is a German association football club based in Braunschweig, Lower Saxony. The club was one of the founding members of the Bundesliga in 1963 and won the national title in 1967.-History:...
on 1 August 2011. Ribéry made his season debut a week later in Bayern's opening league match of the season playing the entire match in a 1–0 loss to Borussia Mönchengladbach. In the following week, he assisted on the game-winning goal, scored by Luiz Gustavo, in a win over VfL Wolfsburg. Ribéry scored his first goal of the campaign in the team's next league match against Hamburger SV. Bayern won the match 5–0. On 10 September, he scored a double and assisted on a goal in a 7–0 home victory over SC Freiburg.
International career
Prior to representing the senior teamFrance national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
, Ribéry was ever present with the France under-21 team
France national under-21 football team
The France national under-21 football team , known in France as Les Espoirs , is the national under-21 football team of France and is controlled by the French Football Federation. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...
earning his first selection on 3 September 2004 in a 1–0 victory over Israel
Israel national under-21 football team
Israel's national Under-21 team , also known as Israel Under-21s or Israel U-21s, is considered to be the feeder team for the Israel national football team...
in qualifying
2006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualification
The qualifying groups for the UEFA U-21 Championship 2006, where possible, matched the 7- and 6-team World Cup 2006 qualifying groups of the senior European teams. The exceptions were where Andorra, Faroe Islands, Liechtenstein, and Northern Ireland were involved; none of whom entered an under-21...
for the 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
2006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Final:-Goalscorers:4 goals Klaas Jan Huntelaar3 goals Thomas Kahlenberg Nicky Hofs2 goals Bryan Bergougnoux Ruslan Fomin Artem Milevskiy...
. Ribéry scored his first under-21 goal five days later in a 1–0 friendly win over Slovakia
Slovakia national under-21 football team
The Slovakia national under-21 football team, controlled by the Slovak Football Association, is Slovakia's national under 21 football team and is considered to be a feeder team for the Slovakia national football team.-European Under-21 Championship record:...
. On 15 November 2005, he scored an important goal against England
England national under-21 football team
England's national Under-21 football team, also known as England Under-21s or England U21, is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team....
during the qualification playoffs as France defeated them 3–2 on aggregate to advance to the finals. Ribéry, however, missed the competition after earning selection to coach Raymond Domenech
Raymond Domenech
Raymond Domenech is a retired French footballer and the former manager of the France national team.-2006 World Cup:On 12 July 2004, Domenech was a surprise choice to succeed Jacques Santini after the country's disappointing exit from UEFA Euro 2004 by losing in the quarter-final match to the...
's pre-World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
squad. In total with the under-21s, Ribéry made 13 appearances scoring two goals.
Ribéry earned his first cap with the senior team in a 1–0 victory over Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
on 27 May 2006 appearing as a substitute in the 74th minute for striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
David Trézéguet
David Trézéguet
David Sergio Trezeguet is a World Cup winning French international footballer who currently is a free agent after being released by Baniyas SC on 21 Nov 2011....
. His solid performances in the friendly matches ahead of the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
led to his inclusion in the team for the competition. Ribéry appeared in all seven matches France contested, starting six. On 27 June, he scored France's opening goal in the team's 3–1 Round of 16 win over Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
after receiving a through ball from Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira is a retired French footballer of Senegalese descent who is the Football Development Executive at Manchester City....
, which allowed the winger to dribble past an oncoming Iker Casillas
Íker Casillas
Iker Casillas Fernández is a Spanish football goalkeeper who plays for the Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and the Spanish national team, being the captain of both...
and shoot into the empty net. He later played in the final
2006 FIFA World Cup Final
The 2006 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match that took place on 9 July 2006 at the Olympiastadion, Berlin to determine the winner of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Italy beat France on penalties after the match finished 1–1 after extra time...
where France lost to Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
on penalties. Ribéry's only shot on goal came in extra time and he was later replaced by Trézéguet.
Following the retirement of Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane is a retired French footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Zidane was a leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship...
, it was expected that Ribéry would succeed him and become the national team's talisman. He went scoreless for almost a year and a half before converting a penalty shot against England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
on 26 March 2008 at the Stade de France
Stade de France
The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for...
. Following the goal, Ribéry paid tribute to legendary French commentator Thierry Gilardi
Thierry Gilardi
Thierry Gilardi was a French football commentator.-Biography:Gilardi was born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Yvelines of Italian stock. He was an avid reader of the French sports newspaper L'Équipe from the age of six. He had always been passionate about sport, especially Rugby Union...
who had passed away a day earlier. At Euro 2008, France performed under expectations with Ribéry appearing in all three group stage matches as France suffered early elimination. On 17 June 2008, in the team's final group stage match against Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
, Ribéry ruptured a ligament in his left ankle in just the 8th minute of play. Ribéry returned to the team on 11 October 2008 in a FIFA World Cup qualification match
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of...
against Romania
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
and scored the team's opening goal in a 2–2 draw. On 28 March 2009, he scored the lone goal away to Lithuania
Lithuania national football team
The national football team of Lithuania is under the auspices of the Lithuanian Football Federation. It played its first match in 1923. In 1940, Lithuania was occupied by the Soviet Union; the country regained its independence in 1990 and played their first match as a new nation against Georgia on...
. Three days later, he completed this feat again, this time at the Stade de France, netting the winner in the 75th minute following service from André-Pierre Gignac
André-Pierre Gignac
André-Pierre Gignac is a French professional football player who currently plays for French club Marseille in Ligue 1. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings. Gignac is described as a "powerful and dangerous" striker who is known for his "aerial presence"...
.
On 11 May 2010, Ribéry was named to Domenech's 30-man preliminary squad to participate in the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
and his second World Cup overall. He was later named to the 23-man team to compete in the competition. Ribéry appeared in all three group stage matches. Following the team's opening match against Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
, Ribéry was criticized for his performance by former international Just Fontaine
Just Fontaine
Just "Justo" Fontaine is a former French football player.-Football career:He holds the record for most goals scored in a single FIFA World Cup finals tournament, with 13 in 1958...
with the former striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
questioning Ribéry's leadership ability. It was later reported by the media that Ribéry and striker Nicolas Anelka
Nicolas Anelka
Abdul-Salam Bilal on 14 March 1979) is a French international footballer, who plays as a striker for English Premier League club Chelsea. Anelka was also a regular starter for the French national team...
purposely "froze-out" midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
Yoann Gourcuff
Yoann Gourcuff
Yoann Miguel Gourcuff is a French international footballer who currently plays for French club Olympique Lyonnais in Ligue 1. He operates mainly as an attacking midfielder, but can also be utilized as a withdrawn striker and is described as a "playmaker of real quality" who "is an accomplished...
. Anelka was later dismissed from the team after reportedly having a dispute, in which obscenities were passed, with Domenech during half-time of the team's 2–0 loss to Mexico. On 20 June, an emotional Ribéry appeared, alongside Domenech, on TF1
TF1
TF1 is a national French TV channel, controlled by TF1 Group, whose major share-holder is Bouygues. TF1's average market share of 24% makes it the most popular domestic network...
's football show Téléfoot
Téléfoot
Téléfoot is a French football programme created by Pierre Cangioni and produced by TF1 Production for TF1.-External links:* *...
to dispelled any rumors associated with the team and to also apologize to supporters for the national team's performance over the past two years stating that "We (France) are suffering at the moment" and "I would like to say sorry to the whole country". The following day, the team boycotted a training session in response to Anelka's expulsion and, on 21 June, returned to training without incident. In the team's final group stage match against the hosts South Africa
South Africa national football team
The South Africa national football team represents South Africa in association football and is controlled by the South African Football Association, the governing body for football in South Africa. South Africa's home ground is Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium due to a naming rights deal, in...
, Ribéry assisted on the team's only goal of the competition scored by Florent Malouda
Florent Malouda
Florent Johan Malouda is a French footballer who plays as a left winger for Chelsea and the French national team.-Châteauroux:A street footballer in his teen years, Malouda gradually developed into an interesting, new football talent, able to penetrate defenses with his technical skills and...
. France lost the match 2–1, which resulted in the team's elimination from the competition. On 6 August, Ribéry was one of five players summoned to attend a hearing held by the Disciplinary Committee of the French Football Federation in response to the team's strike held at the World Cup. On 17 August, he received a three-match international ban for his part in the incident. Ribéry did not attend the hearing due to his parent club's objection.
On 17 March 2011, Ribéry was called up to the national team by new manager Laurent Blanc
Laurent Blanc
Laurent Robert Blanc is a French association football manager and former player. He is the head coach of the French national team, having replaced Raymond Domenech in the wake of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He was previously the manager of Bordeaux...
for the first time since the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He had been eligible to return to the team since October 2010 after serving his three-match suspension, however, due to injuries, Ribéry missed three call-ups. On 21 March, after arriving to Clairefontaine ahead of the team's matches against Luxembourg
Luxembourg national football team
The Luxembourg national football team is the national football team of Luxembourg, and is controlled by the Luxembourg Football Federation. The team play most of their home matches at the Stade Josy Barthel, in Luxembourg.- History :...
and Croatia
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
, Ribéry attended a personal press conference in which he apologized for his behavior overall during the 2010 calendar year. He made his return to the team on 25 March in the team's match against Luxembourg and responded by assisting on the team's second goal, scored by Gourcuff, in its 2–0 win. In his first match at the Stade de France
Stade de France
The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for...
since the World Cup against Croatia, Ribéry appeared as a substitute and was subject to jeers from some section of supporters, however, other parts of the stadium chanted his name.
Style of play and personality
Ribéry primarily plays as a winger and is described as a player who is "fast, tricky, and an excellent dribbler who has great control with the ball at his feet". Despite being predominantly right-footed and utilized as a right-sided midfielderMidfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
during his development years in France, since establishing himself as an international and at Bayern, Ribéry has personally admitted that his preference is to play on the left wing even going as far as to state "My place is on the left" when asked at a February 2010 media session while on international duty. Though, he is often played on the left wing domestically, Ribéry has struggled to establish himself as a left winger at international level with France due to the presence of left-footed dominant players such as Florent Malouda
Florent Malouda
Florent Johan Malouda is a French footballer who plays as a left winger for Chelsea and the French national team.-Châteauroux:A street footballer in his teen years, Malouda gradually developed into an interesting, new football talent, able to penetrate defenses with his technical skills and...
. Ribéry has declared that he is best utilized on the left side because "that is where I am most free and I am the best in my head". Playing on the left also allows Ribéry to use his "bursts of acceleration and weaving runs" to effectively cut inside, which gives him the options of either shooting or delivering a decisive pass. Ribéry is also capable of playing in the center of the field as an attacking midfielder where his vision and playmaking skills are best exhibited. Despite predominantly playing on the wing, he has averaged double-digits in assists every year beginning with his final season at Marseille.
Ribéry has been described as a provocateur on the field of play with UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
describing him as "a crowd-pleaser – one of those rare breed of footballer capable of enjoying his talents while expressing them". During the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, he was mentored by national team play-maker Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane is a retired French footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Zidane was a leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship...
. While boasting him as "the jewel of French football", Zidane has also praised Ribéry as a person declaring "Franck just loves life. He’s the kind of player that makes an impression every time he plays. He’s bound to become an important figure in the world of football". Ribéry's on-field personality is often matched off-field as he is often referred to as a "joker" and "prankster" by club and international teammates. The midfielder has stated that humour is very important admitting "It's important to always be smiling, to wake up and feel good. We (footballers) have a great job, we like what we do and we have fun. Two of his more notable off-the-field stunts while at Bayern include, in his debut season, emptying a bucket of water over former club goalkeeper Oliver Kahn
Oliver Kahn
Oliver Rolf Kahn is a former German football goalkeeper. He started his career in the Karlsruher SC Junior team. He had his debut game in the professional squad in 1987...
from the roof of the club's training centre, and, during the 2008–09 winter break, commandeering the team bus while in Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
and crashing it.
On the negative front, Ribéry has often struggled with injury issues. Since his first season at Bayern in which he appeared in 46 of the club's 54 competitive matches, Ribéry has struggled with minor and serious injuries that has resulted in the player failing to appear in over 40 matches in subsequent seasons. Ahead of the 2008–09 season, he tore ligaments in one of his ankles while on international duty and, during the 2009–10 season, struggled with tendinitis in his left knee. In the next season, Ribéry suffered an ankle injury, which resulted in the midfielder missing two months, despite the initial diagnosis ruling him out for four weeks. He later suffered a similar ankle injury at the start of the 2011–12 season. Ribéry, himself, has admitted that injuries have led to most of his five-year career at Bayern being difficult stating in July 2011 "The last two years (2009–10 and 2010–11 seasons) have been more difficult, partly because I kept picking up injuries. The important thing for me now is to avoid any more injuries".
Club
- Statistics accurate as of 27 November 2011
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | ||
| Boulogne US Boulogne Union Sportive de Boulogne-sur-Mer Côte d'Opale is a French association football club based in the commune of Boulogne-sur-Mer. The club was founded in 1898 and currently plays in Ligue 2, the second of division of French football, having been relegated from Ligue 1 during the 2009–10 season.The... |
2000–01 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 4 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 2001–02 | 24 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 25 | 5 | 1 | |||||
| Total | 28 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |– | –!!29!!6!!1 | ||||||||
| Alès Olympique Alès Olympique Alès is a French association football club founded in 1923, based in the commune of Alès. The Cévennes club currently playing in the Division d'Honneur Régionale – the seventh division – of the Ligue du Languedoc; the club in the past has played for six seasons in Ligue 1... |
2002–03 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 19 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |– | –!!19!!1!!1 | ||||||||
| Brest Stade Brestois 29 Stade Brestois 29 is a French football club based in Brest. The club was founded in 1903 under the name Armoricaine de Brest and adopted its current name in 1950... |
2003–04 | 35 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | – | – | 37 | 4 | 10 | ||||
| Total | 35 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |– | –!!37!!4!!10 | ||||||||
| Metz FC Metz Football Club de Metz, commonly referred to as simply Metz , is a French association football club based in Metz. The club was formed in 1932 and has spent most of its history in the Ligue 1, though they currently play in Ligue 2, the second level in French football league system. Metz plays its... |
2004–05 | 20 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 22 | 1 | 8 | ||||
| Total | 20 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |– | –!!22!!1!!8 | ||||||||
| Galatasaray Galatasaray S.K. (football team) Galatasaray Anonim Şirketi is a Turkish football club, part of the Galatasaray S.K. multi-sport club of Istanbul. Galatasaray is a major sports club in Turkey, holding 17 Turkish Super League titles and the highest number of Turkish Cups.... |
2004–05 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | – | – | 17 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 14 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | |– | –!!17!!1!!1 | ||||||||
| Marseille Olympique de Marseille Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In... |
2005–06 | 35 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 1 | – | 53 | 12 | 7 | ||
| 2006–07 | 25 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | – | 38 | 7 | 11 | |||
| Total | 60 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 4 | 2 | 17 | 4 | 2 | |– | 91 | 19 | 18 | |||
| Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups.... |
2007–08 | 28 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 46 | 20 | 19 |
| 2008–09 | 25 | 9 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 7 | – | 36 | 14 | 21 | |||
| 2009–10 2009–10 Fußball-Bundesliga The 2009–10 Fußball-Bundesliga was the 47th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season commenced on 7 August 2009 with the traditional season opening match involving the defending champions VfL Wolfsburg and VfB Stuttgart. The last games were played on 8 May 2010... |
19 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 2 | – | 30 | 7 | 11 | |||
| 2010–11 2010–11 Fußball-Bundesliga The 2010–11 Fußball-Bundesliga was the 48th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season started on the weekend of 21 August 2010 with the traditional season opening match involving the defending champions and ended with the last games on 14 May 2011. The winter... |
25 | 7 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | – | 32 | 11 | 21 | |||
| 2011–12 2011–12 Fußball-Bundesliga The 2011–12 Fußball-Bundesliga is the 49th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season started on 5 August 2011 with the season opening match involving defending champions Borussia Dortmund and will end with the last games on 5 May 2012... |
14 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 1 | – | 21 | 8 | 9 | |||
| Total | 111 | 37 | 49 | 15 | 8 | 12 | 37 | 12 | 17 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 165 | 60 | 81 | |
| Career total | 287 | 59 | 84 | 37 | 14 | 16 | 54 | 16 | 19 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 380 | 92 | 116 | |
International
- (Correct as of 15 November 2011)
National team Season Apps Goals Assists France France national football teamThe France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...2005–06 10 1 4 2006–07 8 1 2 2007–08 12 2 2 2008–09 8 3 1 2009–10 10 0 1 2010–11 4 0 0 2011–12 4 0 0 Total 56 7 10
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 27 June 2006 | AWD-Arena AWD-Arena The AWD-Arena is a football stadium in the district Calenberger Neustadt in Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany, and competition venue of the German Bundesliga football club Hannover 96.... , Hanover Hanover Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg... , Germany |
|
|
2006 World Cup 2006 FIFA World Cup The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six... |
|
| 2. | 2 June 2007 | Stade de France Stade de France The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for... , Saint-Denis Saint-Denis Saint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Saint-Denis is a sous-préfecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis département, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Saint-Denis.... , France |
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Euro 2008 Q | |
| 3. | 26 March 2008 | Stade de France Stade de France The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for... , Saint-Denis Saint-Denis Saint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Saint-Denis is a sous-préfecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis département, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Saint-Denis.... , France |
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Friendly match Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
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| 4. | 3 June 2008 | Stade de France Stade de France The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for... , Saint-Denis Saint-Denis Saint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Saint-Denis is a sous-préfecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis département, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Saint-Denis.... , France |
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Friendly match Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
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| 5. | 11 October 2008 | Stadionul Farul, Constanţa Constanta Constanța is the oldest extant city in Romania, founded around 600 BC. The city is located in the Dobruja region of Romania, on the Black Sea coast. It is the capital of Constanța County and the largest city in the region.... , Romania |
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2010 WCQ 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification The qualification competition for the 2010 FIFA World Cup was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. Each confederation — the AFC , CAF , CONCACAF , CONMEBOL , OFC , and UEFA — was allocated a certain number of the 32 places at the tournament... |
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| 6. | 28 March 2009 | S. Darius and S. Girėnas Stadium, Kaunas Kaunas Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation... , Lithuania |
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2010 WCQ 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification The qualification competition for the 2010 FIFA World Cup was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. Each confederation — the AFC , CAF , CONCACAF , CONMEBOL , OFC , and UEFA — was allocated a certain number of the 32 places at the tournament... |
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| 7. | 1 April 2009 | Stade de France Stade de France The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for... , Saint-Denis Saint-Denis Saint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Saint-Denis is a sous-préfecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis département, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Saint-Denis.... , France |
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2010 WCQ 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification The qualification competition for the 2010 FIFA World Cup was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. Each confederation — the AFC , CAF , CONCACAF , CONMEBOL , OFC , and UEFA — was allocated a certain number of the 32 places at the tournament... |
Club
GalatasarayGalatasaray S.K. (football team)
Galatasaray Anonim Şirketi is a Turkish football club, part of the Galatasaray S.K. multi-sport club of Istanbul. Galatasaray is a major sports club in Turkey, holding 17 Turkish Super League titles and the highest number of Turkish Cups....
- Turkish Cup: 20052005 Turkish Cup FinalThe 2005 Turkish Cup Final was a football match played on 11 May 2005 at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul. It was the final and deciding match of the 2004–05 Türkiye Kupası .-Match details:-References:...
Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
- UEFA Intertoto CupUEFA Intertoto CupThe UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
: 2005
Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
- BundesligaFußball-BundesligaThe Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
: 2007–08, 2009–102009–10 Fußball-BundesligaThe 2009–10 Fußball-Bundesliga was the 47th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season commenced on 7 August 2009 with the traditional season opening match involving the defending champions VfL Wolfsburg and VfB Stuttgart. The last games were played on 8 May 2010... - DFB-PokalDFB-PokalThe DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
: 20082008 DFB-Pokal FinalThe 2007–08 DFB-Pokal season ended on April 19, 2008, with the final being played by thirteen-time winners Bayern München and two-time winners Borussia Dortmund. The final was played in front of 70,000 at Berlin's Olympiastadion...
, 20102010 DFB-Pokal FinalThe 2009–10 DFB-Pokal season came to a close on 15 May 2010 when Bayern Munich played defending champions Werder Bremen at the Olympiastadion in Berlin. Bayern thrashed Bremen 4-0 with goals from Robben, Olić, Ribéry, and Schweinsteiger. The title capped off a successful season, with Bayern... - DFB-LigapokalDFB-LigapokalThe DFB-Ligapokal, or German League Cup, was a German football competition that took place before the start of the Bundesliga season, featuring the top five teams of the previous Fußball-Bundesliga season and the winners of the DFB-Pokal in Germany...
: 2007
Country
FranceFrance national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
- FIFA World Cup Runners Up: 20062006 FIFA World Cup FinalThe 2006 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match that took place on 9 July 2006 at the Olympiastadion, Berlin to determine the winner of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Italy beat France on penalties after the match finished 1–1 after extra time...
Individual
- UNFP Young Player of the Year: 2005–06
- Ligue 1Ligue 1Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
Goal of the Year: 2005–06 - UNFP Player of the MonthUNFP Player of the MonthThe UNFP Player of the Month trophy is awarded to the best player in the French football championship Ligue 1 by the UNFP, RTL and L'Équipe.A similar award goes to the best player in Ligue 2 and is set up by the UNFP, France Football and Eurosport....
: August 2004, October 2005, November 2005, April 2006 - French Player of the YearFrance FootballFrance Football is a French bi-weekly magazine containing football news from all over the world. It's one of the most reputable sports publications in Europe, mostly because of their photographic reports and accurate statistics of the big European Cup matches, and extensive coverage of the European...
: 2007, 2008 - ESM Team of the YearEuropean Sports MagazinesEuropean Sports Magazines is a European association of football related publications.-ESM Members:The members of this group elect each month a European "Team of the Month", and annually a European "Team of the Year"....
: 2007–08 - German Footballer of the YearGerman Footballer of the YearThe title Footballer of the Year has been awarded in Germany since 1960. In 1996 the title Women's Footballer of the Year was awarded for the first time. Both awards are determined by a poll of German football journalists from the Association of German Sports Journalists and the publication Kicker...
: 2008 - UEFA Team of the YearUEFA Team of the YearThe UEFA Team of the Year is a football award given by UEFA through a poll on its . This award started in 2001 to allow users and visitors of the organization's website to choose their own eleven players and a coach based on their overall performances in European club football and international...
: 2008
External links
- Franck Ribéry stats and timeline at footballdatabase.com