Franck Ribery: “I almost lost my leg”

Following an illustrious career with Bundesliga’s powerhouse Bayern Munich, Franck Ribery spent three seasons in Italian football. In a revealing interview with L’Equipe, the 41-year-old now reveals the reason for ending his career in the middle of a season at US Salernitana.

“My knee was getting more and more painful. I stopped training between games because I needed to protect myself,” Ribery revisited the difficult time. “The tests showed that I had no cartilage left. I had surgery in Austria. The operation went well, and they put in a plate.”

The problem arises five months after the surgery, though. "Almost five months later, I had a severe infection. I took tablets for two months. The plaque was removed,” said Ribery to French’s daily newspaper. “The infection had eaten me away. It was so bad that my entire leg had holes in it.

“They told me that I had contracted Staphylococcus aureus. I was in the hospital in Austria for twelve days. It was very scary. They almost amputated my leg.”

The incident forced Ribery to retire from professional football, but he eventually healed from the infection. Alongside his partner in crime Arjen Robben, Ribery thrilled fans at the Franz Beckenbauer Cup earlier this week.

The Frenchman also revisits the 2013 Ballon d’Or snub in the interview. “Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo always showed me respect. They knew I was at their table. But, With all humility, they weren’t better than me in 2013. That Ballon d’Or will forever remain an injustice."