Franck Ribéry

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11 Mar 2024

Franck Ribéry

Franck Henry Pierre Ribéry, born on April 7, 1983, is a retired French professional footballer celebrated for his contributions as a winger, particularly on the left side. Known for his remarkable pace, energy, skill, and precise passing, Ribéry earned acclaim as one of the best players in the world during his tenure with Bayern Munich. Zinedine Zidane, the former talisman of the French national team, once hailed Ribéry as the jewel of French football.

Ribéry's football journey commenced in 1989 as a youth player for local club FC Conti Boulogne. After seven years, he transitioned to professional outfit Lille but faced challenges adjusting and departed after three years. In 1999, Ribéry joined US Boulogne, playing for two years before moving through amateur divisions with Alès and Brest. His breakthrough came in 2004 when he joined Ligue 1 club Metz. After a brief stint in Turkey with Galatasaray, where he won the Turkish Cup, Ribéry controversially returned to France to join Marseille. At Marseille, he played a key role in reaching the Coupe de France final in consecutive seasons.

Ribéry made a significant move to Bayern Munich for a then-club-record fee of €25 million. During his impressive tenure at Bayern, spanning twelve seasons, he secured numerous titles, including nine Bundesliga titles, six DFB-Pokal trophies, one UEFA Champions League, and one FIFA Club World Cup. Notably, he was part of Bayern's treble-winning season in 2012–13 and earned a spot on the 2013 FIFA Ballon d'Or shortlist alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. His partnership with Arjen Robben earned them the nickname "Robbery." Ribéry departed Bayern in 2019 and joined Italian side Fiorentina, while Robben retired.

On the international stage, Ribéry represented the France national team between 2006 and 2014, earning 81 caps. He participated in two FIFA World Cups (2006 and 2010) and two UEFA European Championships (2008 and 2012). Ribéry received individual accolades, winning the French Player of the Year award three times and the German Footballer of the Year award. He was the first player to hold both honors. In 2013, Ribéry was honored with the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award and was ranked fourth in The Guardian's list of the best players in the world. After retiring as a player, Ribéry assumed the role of a technical collaborator for the Italian Serie A club Salernitana, his final club as a player.

Franck Ribéry's football journey began at the age of six when he joined the youth section of the amateur club FC Conti de Boulogne-sur-Mer. After a seven-year stint, he moved to professional club Lille in 1996, playing in the second division. Despite excelling athletically, Ribéry faced academic and behavioral issues, leading to his release from Lille. In a press conference in 2012, ahead of Bayern Munich's Champions League tie against Lille, Ribéry revealed that the club released him after suffering a broken elbow, and officials had considered dropping him from the academy for being too small.

Following his departure from Lille, Ribéry returned to his hometown and joined US Boulogne. After a year in the reserves, he was promoted to the senior team. Despite making only four appearances in his debut season, Boulogne earned promotion to the third-tier Championnat National. In his second season, Ribéry made 25 league appearances, scoring five goals. Despite the team finishing 17th and returning to the fourth division, Ribéry's performances caught the attention of Olympique Alès, another National club, where he spent one season, making 18 appearances and scoring one goal.

Due to salary payment issues, Ribéry left Alès in March and had trials with SM Caen and Guingamp. Alès was later relegated to the Division d'Honneur. In June, Ribéry signed with Stade Brest, where he played a crucial role in the team's second-place finish, earning promotion to Ligue 2.

Despite success with Brest, Ribéry aimed to play in Ligue 1. His dream was realized when Metz's manager, Jean Fernandez, recruited him on a free transfer. Ribéry spent half a season at Metz, earning the UNFP Player of the Month in August 2004. He scored his only league goal for Metz in a 1–1 draw with Toulouse. Despite comparisons to former Metz player Robert Pires, contract negotiations led to Ribéry's move to Turkey, where he joined Galatasaray in February 2005, signing a three-and-a-half-year contract.

At Galatasaray, Ribéry joined under the management of Gheorghe Hagi and made 14 appearances in the league. The club finished in third place during his time there. Galatasaray supporters gave him the nickname "Ferraribery" due to his rapid acceleration with the ball at his feet. Another nickname, "Scarface," was inspired by a large scar on the right side of his face.Ribéry played a crucial role in Galatasaray's success in the Turkish Cup. In the final match against rivals Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray won 5–1, and Ribéry scored the opening goal in the 16th minute. He also provided an assist for another goal. Ribéry was substituted in the 52nd minute with Galatasaray leading 3–1. This victory marked Ribéry's first major honor in his football career.

Ribéry made the surprising announcement that he would be returning to France to join Ligue 1 club Marseille on a five-year contract. This move reunited him with his former manager, Jean Fernandez. The decision caught Galatasaray off guard, as Ribéry still had three years remaining on his contract after the club paid Metz €2 million to make his loan move permanent on 30 March.

Ribéry claimed that he hadn't received his wages from the club and sought FIFA's intervention to invalidate his contract. He also revealed that he had been threatened with a baseball bat by his former agent and a Galatasaray director during the season. A day after the announcement, Galatasaray officials and manager Eric Gerets criticized Ribéry for betraying the club and expressed their intent to ask FIFA to investigate the situation.

FIFA ruled in favor of Ribéry, dismissing Galatasaray's claims of the player being at fault. In response, Galatasaray decided to challenge FIFA's ruling by appealing to the international Court of Arbitration for Sport.
On 25 April 2007, the court dismissed their appeal, stating that Ribéry had terminated his contract with the Turkish club at the end of the 2004–05 season on just grounds. Therefore, Galatasaray was not entitled to any compensation. The club had sought €10 million in compensation from Marseille.