Franck Ribery Bio Send To Friend  

A midfielder of nomadic tendencies, Ribery has built a career as a tricky wide player who has become one of the best players in Europe.

The French winger, currently plying his trade at Bayern Munich, has attracted a great deal of attention for his performances in the Bundesliga, where his pace and skill have made him one of the world's most coveted players.

Ribery's career took a while to get going as he spent the first four years of his footballing life in France, playing for four different clubs. Boulogne, Alès, Stade Brestois and Metz all had the winger on their books before Galatasaray took a chance on the midfielder.

He signed a three-and-a-half-year contract and relocated to Turkey in 2005 where he succeeded in winning over fans almost immediately by scoring against bitter rivals Fenerbahçe in the final of the Turkish Cup.

His time at the club turned sour and after going for four months without pay, he invoked a FIFA ruling which allowed him to cancel his contract. After just 15 matches in Turkey, Ribery chose to head back to France, joining Olympique Marseille on a free transfer.

The Turkish club were not happy and appealed to the Court of Arbitration of Sport, but they were unsuccessful as the courts vindicated his right to move without a fee being paid. Galatasaray had sought around €10m in compensation from Marseille, but the saga ended in July 2005 without any money changing hands.

Ribery appeared much happier back in his homeland and in his second season, 2006-07, Marseille finished as runner-ups to Lyon in Ligue 1. That season, he notched five goals in 25 starts for the club and also began to make an impact on the international scene as he made his debut for France in May 2006.

His performances saw him tracked by Europe's elite and, after the disappointment of a World Cup final defeat to Italy, Ribery was linked with all the best clubs. Eventually, Bayern Munich won the race for his signature and he signed a four-year deal for a club-record €26m.

It didn't take long for him to make his mark and he scored 11 goals, with seven assists in his first season. He was named the 2007-08 German Footballer of the Year and even gained the praise of Zindine Zidane who labelled him ''the jewel of French football.''

With his energy, pace and skill continuing to impress, the player, not known for staying at a club for very long, may find himself in new surroundings in the future; although is bound to attract a great deal of attention wherever he goes.