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Franck Ribery (France): Scarface to succeed Zizou
After Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane, Franck Ribery is being talked about as the next big thing in French football. Steve Wilson reports |
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France have a new darling. Just as the impending retirement of Zinedine Zidane looked to be marking the end of an era for Les Bleus, a new name has emerged in Raymond Domenech’s plans who is threatening to bring Zizou’s exit from the game forward. At first thought, it is quite amazing to hear that there have been calls for Domenech to put Marseille’s 23-year-old midfielder Franck Ribery in France’s starting line-up in Germany ahead of Zidane. The Real Madrid man, who hit two for France in the 1998 World Cup Final, was seen as the returning hero, coming out of retirement to save his nation’s World Cup plans. For him to now be sweating on a place in the starting XI against Switzerland on June 13 is remarkable.
So who exactly is Franck Ribery? Is he really the natural successor to Michel Platini and Zidane as France’s next great playmaker? Born in Northern France in 1983, Ribery’s story has a dramatic beginning. Aged just two he was involved in a terrible car crash in which he was thrown through the front window of his parents’ car – leaving distinctive scarring down the right side of his face to this day, giving him the look of a Bond villain and the nickname ‘Scarface’.
Starting out his career in the French National League with firstly Boulogne-sur-Mer, then Ales and finally Brest, he made the step up to Ligue 1 when he joined Metz in 2004. It is an amazing mark of how valuable an asset he is to his team that he managed to finish third in the list of leading assists in Ligue 1 for the 2004-05 season despite the fact that he departed for Turkish side Galatasaray in the January transfer window.
Ribery’s Turkish experience was not to be a memorable one. With just 14 appearances for the Istanbul club under his belt he departed for Marseille in the summer, claiming that he hadn’t been paid for four months by his new employers. His return to France with the south coast club made them his sixth different outfit in five seasons and has, unsurprisingly, given him a reputation as an untrustworthy troublemaker. With his reputation likely to be enhanced at the World Cup it is looking very likely that he will make it seven clubs in six seasons by departing the Stade Vélodrome after the Finals.
Although his abilities were already proven during his half season with Metz, it has been his dazzling form for Marseille this past term that has really thrown him into the limelight. Quick bursts of pace and visionary passing have been the key element to his game and they are skills readily identified by his international teammates after his debut against Mexico in late May.
“His game is very simple. He always moves the ball forward and is also clever enough to retain it for a bit when necessary,” noted Thierry Henry, whose Arsenal side are one of several who will be closely monitoring his progress in Germany. Meanwhile, Coach Domenech is confident that his selection will pay dividends as the tournament progresses. “We selected him for his qualities and we have seen a sample already in these friendlies. Let’s hope we will see some more from now to July 9.”
Receiving bigger cheers than Zidane when he came on in the matches against Mexico and Denmark, it was his name that the French fans were chanting long into the night. The trickery and fancy footwork are there to be seen, but question marks over his off-the-field temperament may hamper his chances of following the path laid by Platini and Zidane. His next switch may be the most important of his career and if he is to settle at one club for what should be the best seasons of his career, as his predecessors both did at Juventus, then he needs to make the right move.
The Bianconeri’s troublesome position in limbo between the Scudetto and Serie B may well rule out his chances of following their exact path, but that doesn’t completely rule out a switch to Serie A as both Milan clubs have already declared an interest.
“It is very pleasant to learn that such big teams are watching me. I have already heard that Milan have an eye on me but I don’t let it affect me,” commented Ribery in response to the speculation. His club have already angrily stated that he is not for sale, however, if he does go on to usurp the living legend that is Zidane, the Mediterranean club may just receive a bid from the San Siro that is too tempting to reject.
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