Franck Ribery: It Was Good To Play Against The Faroe Islands

The Bayern Munich ace’s appearance last night will not have been well received in Germany, but the forward was grateful for the game time.

When Franck Ribery was brought on for France with around 25 minutes of their World Cup qualifier against the Faroe Islands remaining, the tension between national coach Raymond Domenech and Bayern Munich trainer Louis van Gaal was almost palpable, but the offensive midfielder insists it was good to play.

Ribery was taken to the Faroe Islands by Domenech supposedly as a morale boost of the players, considered too injured to play by his club side. However, as kick-off in Torshavn approached, it became increasingly evident that Domenech wanted to use the 25-year-old in his squad, drawing an angry response from Germany, where Van Gaal was fuming.
The former Olympique de Marseille man came on to inspire France with around quarter of the match remaining, and though he could not help them add to their unconvincing 1-0 victory, he stated after the game that he was glad of the experience.

“It was good for me to return to the French team because, even if I was not 100 per cent, it gives me confidence for the next matches and I was reassured,” he told the AFP news agency after the game.

This is unlikely to be a controversy that disappears quickly, despite Ribery’s words, with an increase of tensions between les Bleus and the Bavarian giants almost inevitable.
Meanwhile, France closed in on Serbia at the top of Group 7, and now trail the pool leaders by five points with one game in hand.