While it was pretty quiet on the Lionel Messi front after missing out on the Ballon d’Or for the first time in four years, Franck Ribery was a bit more disappointed that Cristiano Ronaldo, and not him, got to be awarded with the honor, and that Bayern Munich didn’t have as many players as he would like in the FIFA team of the year.
Franck Ribery was part of a Bayern Munich team that swept every competition they were in, winning everything but the German Super Cup in 2013, losing to Bortussia Dortmund. Franck Ribery seemed to be well on his way to win the FIFA Ballon d’Or before the whole Ronaldo-Blatter scandal began. Suddenly, the voting dates changed, getting an extension; a photo-shoot with Ribery was cancelled, and FIFA chose Ronaldo for it. Ronaldo stopped his threats to not go to the ceremony. All was well? Depends who you’re asking.
For the best scorers every year there is the Golden Boot, no? I have won everything with the team and individually. Ronaldo won nothing in 2013. I’m not sad, but it hurts the heart. Do not get me wrong, I am proud to have been there. But I feel: This title I deserved. Everyone tells me I should have won. But well, now I have to keep my head up. When I see the top eleven that was chosen – there are only 3 Bayern players there. This is madness! Müller must be there, Alaba, Schweinsteiger, Robben. We won five titles, made history. Who has done that before? And Dortmund’s missing in this eleven: What’s with Götze, Lewandowski? That can’t be! I’m sure: Would Barcelona and Madrid have stood in the Champions League final, the team would consist only of players of Real and Barca.
Only Manuel Neuer, Philipp Lahm and Franck Ribery appeared in the FIFA World XI for 2013, while the rest of the slots were filled with Barcelona, Real Madrid and one PSG player. What about Dortmund or the rest of the Bayern Munich crew? Hard to say, but the Real Madrid-Barcelona bias was clear to see in the voting, and it’s probably not going to end anytime soon.