Salerno/Munich (dpa/lby) - After Franck Ribéry's career ended, FC Bayern recognized the French footballer as one of the most outstanding players in his club's history. "Franck Ribéry is one of the greatest players FC Bayern has ever had. The fans have always loved his unmistakable, cheeky manner on the pitch. You could always see from him and his game that he felt at home with FC Bayern and in Munich I got to know Franck as a great player and a reliable friend," explained Bayern Munich's honorary president Uli Hoeneß on Friday.
Munich CEO Oliver Kahn himself played with the Frenchman. He said of the 39-year-old former world-class player, who was known for his pranks: "You came to Munich as Filou, surprised me a few times with the water bucket and are now an absolute club icon."
Ribéry is "one of the greats in the history of football - and not least of FC Bayern". He was "something very special," Kahn continued. "He represented sophistication." FC Bayern is proud to have had him in their ranks for so many years and to have won the biggest titles with him.
Ribéry confirmed the end of his career on social media on Friday. He played for Bayern Munich from 2007 to 2019 before moving to Italy and initially to Fiorentina. The offensive player, who formed a congenial duo with Arjen Robben for a long time, won the German championship and the DFB Cup several times with the Munich team and also won the Champions League with them in 2013 in a treble year.
Most recently, Ribéry kicked for the Italian first division club US Salernitana. He was still on the pitch for the club from the south of the Mediterranean country in mid-August in the league game against AS Roma, where he then injured himself and had to leave the field.
However, Ribéry does not want to say goodbye to the football business entirely. Earlier this month, Italian media speculated he could take a job at Salernitana.
