Former France Winger Franck Ribry revealed that he was close to amputating his leg at the end of his career due to infection after surgery and admitted that he did not win 2013 Ballon d’Or remains “a prolonged injustice”.
Ribire, who passed 12 from his 22 -year -old career in Bayern Munich, retired from professional football in 2022, lost 81 times for Les Blues.
The front, known for its rhythm and the trial on the pitch, enjoyed a glittering spell in the German giants, winning 23 trophies, including nine Bundesliga and the Champions League titles in 2013.
His career also included spells in Marseille and Fiorentina and was part of the French team that ended the runners in the 2006 World Cup, losing the sanctions in Italy.
Pure nostalgia. 🥹#Fcbayern #Masanmia pic.twitter.com/omcez2q7
– FC Bayern Munich (@fcbayern) 22 March 2025
But the end of Ribire’s career was full of injury and, speaking at the French L’Equipe store, the 41 -year -old revealed that he almost lost his leg after suffering from a flesh infection that required surgery.
“My knee is hurting more and more,” Ribry said. “I was no longer a training between races, but rather a recovery to protect myself.
“I went down the knife to Austria. The business went well, with a plate introduced in, but I had a bad infection almost five months later.
“They removed the plate. But the infection had eaten away to me. It was so bad that I had holes in my leg. I had contracted Staphylococcus aureus.
“I was in the emergency room at Austria Hospital for 12 days. I was really scared, they could have cut my foot.”
Despite the achievement of great success in Germany, Ribery admitted that he was still disturbed by the loss of Cristiano Ronaldo in 2013 Ballon d’Or.
The Frenchman was a key number in the campaign that won Bayern’s Prima that year, when the prize vote was expanded controversial for two weeks due to the obvious lack of eligible voters.
Ribire, who finally finished third behind Lionel Messi, said: “I had everything except the award that year.
“It was the perfect year, I couldn’t perform better. That Ballon D’Or would always be a prolonged injustice.
“I am still looking for an explanation, although some have offered their shots, I will never understand why the vote was delayed for more than two weeks when I was driving between journalists. If the vote had happened, as I should, I would have won.”
