"The ball stops but not my feelings for him".
It is with these words that Franck Ribéry announced that he was hanging up his crampons on his social networks.
At 39, and after a successful career with the 2013 Champions League as a highlight, the former tricolor international (81 caps) ended his career due to recurring knee problems.
And to pay tribute to its player, the Salernitana organized a ceremony in his honor before facing Spezia, on behalf of the 11th day of Serie A. couldn't hold back her tears.
Grazie FRANCK.
👏@FranckRibery da un ultimo abbraccio ai tifosi della @OfficialUSS1919 🇱🇻
#SalernitanaSpezia pic.twitter.com/WKELDdqMM4
— Lega Serie A (@SerieA) October 22, 2022
“I was not the best but I was different”
In an interview granted to the Gazzetta dello Sport before receiving this tribute, Franck Ribéry evoked certain memories of his career, and in particular his association with Zinedine Zidane: “He was the strongest player with whom I played.
I had the chance to play the 2006 World Cup with him.
Even if we lost the final, it remains an unforgettable experience.
»
“I leave so many things to football in my opinion, continued the one who finished 3rd in the 2013 Golden Ball. My style of play, my mentality.
I come from the streets, and maybe today there are not many like me who have the dribbling, the flicker, the whimsical side... I think that's what people will remember of me.
I can't say I was the best, but I was definitely different.
»
The former Marseille winger nevertheless claimed that he was one of the best players on the planet at some point in his career: “If I were one of the five best players in the world?
Well yes.
»
