33-year-old Franck Ribery is aiming to recapture the form that saw him named UEFA’s Best Player in Europe for 2012-13. The following three seasons for the Frenchman, all under Pep Guardiola, have seen his appearances and goalscoring totals dwindle.
Ribery was plagued by injuries last year, and he only managed to score two goals in 22 games for Bayern Munich. Ribery, who’d finished third in the 2013 FIFA Ballon d’Or voting, is desperate to get back to his brilliant best.
Ribery recently spoke with German sports magazine Kicker, and he claims his poor form stems from more than just injuries.
"I feel free and I am fully motivated. Carlo Ancelotti is a gift for the club. Since Ancelotti has arrived, I feel more trust,” said Ribery.
"He's a great coach. I need people like him, Jupp Heynckes or Ottmar Hitzfeld. I need this trust in me, to play off my strengths.
"It all depends on things like trust, respect and proximity. Then I cannot only give 100 percent - I can give 150 percent.
"With Ancelotti we can reach something great and I'm really looking forward to the next season."
Guardiola left Bayern after three largely successful seasons with the club. He’ll now manage Manchester City while Ancelotti has replaced him in Munich. Having won the Champions League twice with Barcelona as manager, Guardiola was unable to advance past the semi-finals with Bayern Munich.
(H/T: FourFourTwo)
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