Franck Ribery was emotional when reflecting on his career, highlighting that serious knee pains forced him to hang up his boots.
The 39-year-old French forward officially announced yesterday that he was retiring from playing and will be joining Davide Nicola’s staff at Salernitana. Ribery has suffered from regular injuries since leaving Bayern Munich in 2019 and a recent knee issue ultimately forced his hand and pushed him to retire.
Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Ribery provided some background on his decision to retire.
“In the last week I have been thinking a bit more about this moment, but the truth is that I don’t really come to it prepared. Three months ago I was still feeling good. I had a great pre-season training camp, then the first pain in my knee after a triangular match in July.
“At the first league game against Roma I played through the pain. I’m not a fragile person, but for the next three days I couldn’t move. The doctors said it was very serious. I tried to recover. I couldn’t believe that I was being forced to retire. I would have liked to choose when to retire.
“Instead my football is over. The turn of the pitch will be a special and very difficult moment.”
He spoke about his emotions following his announcement.
“Yesterday I watched the commemorative video of my career again, and I cried. I have my own sensitivity, my own heart. I knew this day would come, but this is bad. It all happened very fast. Too much. And it hurts me.”
The 39-year-old revealed when he realised he would have to stop playing.
“Less than a month ago I went to Munich for a consultation. I thought: maybe a solution will be found. Instead I will have to have surgery, but only to be able to lead a normal life.
“However, as soon as I returned to Salernitana, everyone helped me. They asked me to stay in any other role I wanted. This helped me not to think too much.”
Ribery discussed his decision to join Nicola’s staff at Salernitana.
“I am very happy. I would like to coach in the future. I like being on the pitch and being close to the team. I told my teammates that the hardest thing for me was not quitting, but not being able to help them every day.
“Instead I will continue to do so, in a city where football is lived the way I like it, with passion. And I am in love with football. And then President Iervolino has changed and is changing things: you can feel that there is a project, a vision for the future. Salerno deserves great things.”
He looked back at his two-year spell with Fiorentina.
“Florence is similar to Salerno because they live for football there too. A beautiful city, full of tourists from all over the world. We eat very well. With the club it ended the way it did, but Fiorentina was a good experience.
“It was a shame to have played almost a year without fans because of COVID. But the people loved me, I’m someone who always comes off the pitch with a sweaty shirt.”
The Frenchman immediately knew who was the best that he ever played with.
“Zidane. I was lucky enough to play in the 2006 World Cup with him. It was my first time in the national team and, even though we lost the final against Italy, it remains an unforgettable experience.”
The 39-year-old discussed the changing landscape of modern football.
“Today it is sometimes too easy for young people, there is more money around, and with money you buy the nice car and more. And this sometimes makes them lose their sense of measure. So, I would say to them: oh, man, do you know where I was when I was 19?
“On the street, in the third division, where there was no money, no cars, nothing. Zero. But I worked, I made sacrifices, and even when I won so many trophies that earned me so much money, I still had the same hunger.
“But certain values cannot be transmitted: they are inside you. Either you have them or you don’t.”
Finally, Ribery was asked if there was anything he would’ve liked to have said during his long playing career but didn’t.
“When I wanted to speak, I always did. And always for the good of the group, because I’m not selfish. When I see people happy, I am happy. Yesterday some children with cancer were here, at training.
“I had sent a video to one of them while he was in hospital. We met, he burst into tears, hugged me and didn’t want to leave me anymore. This was priceless to me. He will always remember those moments, and so will I.”