Franck Ribery has officially hung up his boots and announced his retirement, confirming that he’ll join Davide Nicola’s staff at Salernitana.
The 39-year-old Frenchman has consistently struggled with injuries over the last few years, forcing him to regularly miss matches last season for the Campania outfit. Ribery became a household name during his time with Olympique Marseille but truly exploded onto the scene when he joined Bayern Munich in the summer of 2007, where he found success and glory.
Ribery spent 12 years with the Bavarian giants, making 425 appearances across all competitions, where he scored 124 goals and provided 182 assists. He won nine Bundesliga titles, six German cups, the Champions League title and the FIFA Club World Cup. After leaving Bayern Munich the Frenchman spent two years with Fiorentina before closing out his career with Salernitana.
Writing on his social media pages today, Ribery confirmed his retirement, saying: “The ball stops. The emotions inside me do not. Thank you all for this great adventure.”
Ribery will say goodbye to the Salernitana fans ahead of their match against Spezia tomorrow before joining Nicola’s staff.
The Salernitana coach confirmed his move to the backroom of the club in a press conference today.
“Having him on our staff is a pleasure, he could have done anything anywhere in the world and instead he has accepted to stay with us. He will be an all-round collaborator, he is a potential coach because of his personality, knowledge and ability to play down and read moments.
“He is now on the other side of the fence and will be able to perceive different dynamics. And I still like his willingness to learn. I hope he can be by my side on the bench tomorrow.”