“Not winning it hurt me”: Franck Ribéry returned this weekend to his disappointment over the 2013 Ballon d’Or at the Sports Festival in Trento, in northern Italy. Despite an outstanding season with Bayern Munich, he did not claim the trophy. Now 43, the former France international is preparing to embark on a coaching career.
Ribéry acknowledges that the disappointment remains painful. “The wound will probably never heal,” he says. The 2013 Ballon d’Or remains a source of bitterness for him: he still feels the result was unjust, thirteen years on.
“2013 was my golden year,” he said in Trento. He recalled winning everything in a season he described as magical, with excellent performances for Bayern and the national team. “I might even have deserved the Ballon d’Or. Not winning it hurt me. It was a disappointment. I have no problem admitting that,” he said. That year, after his season with Bayern, he finished third behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
After ending his playing career in October 2022 following a final spell at Salernitana, Ribéry joined the Italian club’s technical staff until March 2024. He now says he feels ready to take the next step. He wants his team to “play attacking football”, win the ball back quickly and immediately look for goal.
His approach to coaching, however, goes beyond tactics. In his view, managing the group, empathy and relationships with players come first. He says his outlook has been shaped by the coaches he has worked with and learned from.
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