• International football

Ribery: Deschamps has accepted my retirement decision

ESPN staff
September 11, 2014
Franck Ribery has ruled out a return to international football © PA Photos
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Franck Ribery has insisted he will not change his decision to retire from international football and says he has the blessing of France coach Didier Deschamps.

Ribery, 31, retired from France during the summer, only two years before Euro 2016 in France, in order to focus on his club career.

The Bayern Munich winger's decision surprised UEFA president Michel Platini, who warned his compatriot that should he reject a summons to international duty, he could face a ban for future club games.

"That's written in the FIFA statues," Platini said. "If he doesn't report for duty, then he would be banned for three matches for Bayern Munich."

The UEFA chief also stated that it is not Ribery but France manager Deschamps who has the final decision on his international career.

Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has since said everything has been settled with Deschamps and so no ban is imminent.

In an interview with German newspaper Die Welt, Ribery maintained that Deschamps will not look to call him up for international duty again.

"I've already said that I will retire. And that's also agreed with the France coach Deschamps," Ribery said. "In the future, I want to fully focus on Bayern. I don't know how I can say any more about it. My stance does not change. And I'm not concerned with all the politics around this issue."

Meanwhile, Ribery could return to the Bayern team for the first time since the German cup final in May when Stuttgart travel to the Allianz Arena on Saturday.

Ribery missed the World Cup with a back problem, before suffering a knee injury upon returning to training with the German champions.

"The injury was a real shame, because until then I had a good pre-season," Ribery added. "The last weeks I have worked very hard with our fitness coach and it has brought about an effect. Moreover, it has done me good that I was not travelling with the national team. I had more time and energy to regain my fitness.

"I am ready to start. I feel that I'm at 100% and no longer have any pain. That's important for my head. I now need to get back into the rhythm. Naturally the coach [Pep Guardiola] decides whether I'll start. We'll see about that."

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