When he announced the end of his professional footballer career in October 2022, Franck Ribéry spoke about the main reason. Mined by recurring pain in one knee, the one who was then thirty-nine years old could no longer continue like this. Two and a half years after turning the page, the former Bayern Munich gave himself up this Saturday in the columns of
The team. The opportunity for him to come back to what pushed him to say Stop.
“The pain in my knee has only worsened and the doctors are formal: I no longer have the choice, I have to stop playing. So I have to end my professional player career. »» It was with these words that the former French international had announced his decision at the time through a video posted on his social networks. But this time, he entered the details. And clearly, he was very afraid.
“I had more and more sore knee. (…) I lost the pace to save myself. Then the exams revealed that I had no more cartilage. I went to the billiards in Austria. The operation went well with the installation of a plate inside. »»
“We could have cut my leg”
This is where things got worse. To the point that Franck Ribéry feared the worst. “I had a big infection almost five months later. (…) We removed the plate. The infection had eaten away. It was so serious that I had holes in my leg. I had grabbed a golden staphylococcus. (…) I was really afraid. I could have cut my leg. »» The world's vice-world champion with the Blues was fortunately able to count on the good work of his surgeon. From now on, he granted himself from time to time a few moments of football ball on the foot. “When I replay with the ancients as with my little one, somewhere, I revise. »»
Since his retirement, “Kaizer Franck” has started a new chapter in his professional life by spending his coach diplomas. If he has a few left to obtain to be able to train at the highest level, the former OM has chosen to cross the steps one after the other, starting from the bottom, working with young people, observing the lower divisions. And finally get to the high level with solid background.
