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Source: Football.ua
KICK OFF :
Never since the days of Grande Armee led by that great French soldier, Marshal Ney, did any Frenchman instill so much shock and awe in the minds of the Germans as has been done by Franck Ribery the awesome Bayern and Les Bleus master dribbler. The swift strikes of this lightning-fast winger has led to the High Priest of French football Zinedine Zidane calling Ribery ,’the jewel of French soccer’. Uusally playing on the wing, Ribery has averaged double-digit figures in assists since his last season with Marseilles in 2007.
HIS-STORY :
Franck Ribery was born in Boulogne-sur-Mer, and raised in a working class neighbourhood to a construction worker. At the age of two, Ribery and his family were involved in a ghastly car accident in his hometown. The resulting injuries required over hundred sutures and left a scar on his right cheek and indelible mark on his psyche. It led to the birth of a street fighter who has set ablaze the football pitches while deftly dodging past the challenges of poverty as smoothly as he dribbles around the posse of defenders.
Starting his career with US Boulogne (2000-02), Ales (2002-03), Stade Brestois (2003-04), and Metz (2004-05) he signed for the Turkish giant Galatasaray in 2005. Ribery played a pivotal role in routing their arch rivals Fenerbahce 5-1 in the Turkish Cup finals. However, his Turkish odyssey ended in a bitter legal spat with Galatasaray amidst issues of no payment of dues. Thereafter he moved to Marseille, helping them into the finals of the 2006 Coupe de France. In 2007, after only spending a year in Marseille, he moved to Bayern Munich for a fee of 25 million Euros where he has stayed ever since, assisting them in winning the German football champions title in 2007, 2009 and 2012.
It was against Mexico that he made his international debut in May 2006. Ribery gave a series of stellar performances on the road to the 2006 World Cup finals against Italy, which France lost in the tiebreaker. Ribery was widely perceived as Zidane’s successor. Despite his seven year itch in the international arena and the roller coaster ride, including the 2010 World Cup campaign fiasco, he remains a key cog in the wheel of Les Bleus in their 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign.
SCORE CARD :
Achievements have been Frank Ribery’s middle name. His stunning goal for Marseille against Nantes in 2005-06 was declared to be the Goal of the Year. Besides having being honored with the FIFA World Cup Runners-up medal in 2006, he remains till now the only player to be crowned both the French Footballer of the year (2007,08) and the German Footballer of the year (2008).
His score sheet reads an impressive century plus goals at club level and 17 International goals starting with the goal against Spain in the 2006 World Cup. According to Bloomberg, Ribery was ranked the third-best footballer of 2013 in Europe. He was declared the UEFA Best Player in Europe in 2012-13 and he is still in the race for the coveted Ballon d’Or for 2013.
EXTRA TIME :
Francois, his younger brother, is also a football player, playing for various amateur clubs. Ribery converted to Islam and took the name Bilal Yusuf Mohammed following his marriage to Wahiba of Algerian descent, who grew up in his neighbourhood. The couple are now proud parents to three children.
Along with French teammate Karim Benzema, he has appeared on the cover of the FIFA 09 video game French version. Affectionately called “Ti’Franck” – meaning a boy who made good, he featured in his own dedicated programme “The Ribéry Show” aired on French TV, funded fully by sports giant Nike. Ribery invited all his friends – his family, pals, musicians, footballers – to shout in the stands of the Lille arena where the show was filmed.
OFFSIDE :
Ribery, along with several French players, got embroiled in the infamous 2010 World Cup disciplinary issues surrounding France’s inglorious exit in the 2010 world Cup. He was one of the key players in the infamous “mutiny of Knysna” ,which will always be remembered as the Waterloo of French football. Ribery has constantly been affected by a series of injuries including tendonitis of the knee, ankle sprains and hamstring pulls that have affected his career. Although a jovial person off the pitch and a known prankster, at times he has been booked for his aggressive conduct.
TIE-BREAKER :
UEFA has called Ribery a great crowd puller and a popular ambassador of the beautiful game considering his amazing personal journey – a typical rags-to-riches tale à la française, a cross between Emile Zola and Cindrella. Frankly speaking, that’s why it is always Oktoberfest at the Allianz Arena when Ribery is on a roll and suggesting to his hapless rivals, “Apres moi le deluge”.