FRANCK RIBERY HAS claimed that the 2013 Ballon d’Or was “stolen” from him.
The Bayern Munich star said that it is “incomprehensible” that Cristiano Ronaldo picked up the prize that season after he had enjoyed such a formidable season with the Bundesliga club.
The France winger led Bayern to domestic glory and played a leading role as they snatched the Champions League with a 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.
Such exploits are generally seen to go hand in hand with winning the game’s greatest individual prize, but Ribery’s contribution was overlooked for that of Ronaldo. Indeed, he did not even finish second, with Lionel Messi pipping him for that spot.
“It was as if it was stolen from me,” Ribery told Canal Football Club. “It’s incomprehensible. I won every trophy, I couldn’t have done more. It was an injustice.”
The Frenchman grumbled that he did not have the support of his compatriots.
“I didn’t have my country behind me,” he claimed. “I saw it with my own eyes that the French said Cristiano should win. Did the Portuguese want it to be Ribery or Messi? Of course not.”
Ribery feels that he was made a scapegoat after France’s shambolic World Cup 2010 campaign, in which Raymond Domenech’s side crashed out at the group stage and even staged a strike against their coach by refusing to leave the team bus.
And the 34-year-old still points his finger at the media.
“In 2010, they needed someone to blame,” he said. “Everyone in France believed I was the problem — even my parents.
“I can’t forget the actions of certain French media. It’s a scar that stays with me, it was too much.”
Ribery’s current contract at Bayern expires at the end of the season.
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Maybe something to do with Ronaldo getting 3 times the amount of goals in the same year or.. maybe something to do with the impending allegations that he got hit with in January of 2014? The mind boggles.
@ManUtdMan: it’s not the golden boot award
@Brian: who said it was?
Frank sounds like an awful pain in the arse
@Gustave H: pain in the face
@Brian Les: a face only his mother could love….or an underage French Algerian prostitute he paid to.
Since 2010 of the 23 players to finish 1st 2nd or 3rd only 4 have been outside Real and Barca and 3 not in the Spanish league. While you can say Messi and Ronaldo deserve top 2 most years youd think there should be more from other Leagues.
@Kingshu: that’s an amazing stat!
@Eoin Long: should say nominee’s rather than players as Messi and Ronaldo take up 14 of them, but youd think other clubs/players would get more of a look in.
Franck sounding like the one and only Hillary Clinton.
@Daniel Donovan: or trumplike in self estimation of his own “genius”
Bridesmaid Franck.
Ribery did stand out above all that year. Usual UEFA tactics… ribery would sell as many jerseys.
@Graham: Yawn.
@Graham: You know who votes for the ballon dor yea? International managers and captains. What has that got to do with selling jerseys.
@Andy: total rubbish. It’s a special international ‘jury’ made from a selection of countries. It’s not a vote from every country. Even journalists get to vote…. basically hand picked….
@Graham: Martin O Neill as Ireland Manager and Seamus Coleman as Irish captain voted…as do other international managers and captains.
Quite Franckly my dear I don’t give a damn…
French media are nasty bxstards if really left him with that scar!!