Franck Ribery admits he feels let down by Fiorentina not offering him a new contract, or even calling him, but he ‘would like to stay in Serie A.’
The 38-year-old is now a free agent after the Viola opted not to propose a contract extension, so his deal expired on June 30.
“The two years with Fiorentina, the fans and this city were wonderful because, despite the difficulties, I met many wonderful people,” Ribery told Toscana TV.
“It’s a pity, as I wanted to continue for another year with Fiorentina, but this is my destiny. I have always been at the disposal of the squad and tried to give my all.”
The former Bayern Munich legend described teammate Dusan Vlahovic as ‘like a little brother’ and hailed his enormous potential.
Nothing seemed to go as planned for Fiorentina under President Rocco Commisso, as they went through several coaching changes and for the second year running battled to avoid relegation.
“I had wanted to stay in Florence, but the situation was not easy. I never criticised the club, I have good memories of the Viola jersey and would like to stay in Serie A, but I don’t know anything about my future yet.
“Fiorentina have an important name, I came here not to fight for Serie A safety. It’s an important club in Italy and I hope it can get back to being big again, because the Viola fans deserve more.”
The supporters would argue that Ribery too deserved better treatment, as while they negotiated with Spezia to get coach Vincenzo Italiano after hiring and firing Gennaro Gattuso, their star man was left in the dark.
“It was not easy for me. I gave my all for the team. I didn’t hear from anyone and received no calls for three or four weeks. I expected a little more respect, but this is life.”