In July 2007, Bayern Munich paid 25 million Euros to bring Ribery into a side reeling from failure to qualify for the Champions League. Other big money signings that summer included Luca Toni from Fiorentina and Miroslav Klose from Werder Bremen. Under legendary coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, Bayern won the 2007-2008 Bundesliga title, with Ribery scoring 19 goals in all competitions and earning numerous accolades, including German Footballer of the Year. In 2008-2009, Ribery continued his stellar play with Bayern. His 14 goals in 36 appearances, however, were not enough to lead Bayern to glory in the Bundesliga, where they finished two points behind champions Wolfsburg, or in the Champions League, where they were throttled 12-1 on aggregate in the quarterfinals by eventual winners Barcelona.
Although he has generated considerable interest from Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Chelsea during the summer of 2009, Ribery looks set to stay on with his current employers after his suitors failed to meet the Bundesliga club's astronomical asking price.
Humble Beginnings for Ribery in France's Second Division
As a teenager, Frank Ribery was far from one of French Football's prized prospects, and a move to a massive club like Bayern Munich must have seemed a pipe dream. Ribery began
his career with modest 2nd division side US Boulogne, making 28 appearances over two seasons from 2000-20002. Successive one-year spells with 2nd division sides Ales and Stade Brestois saw the blossoming winger earn a move to first division side Metz for the 2004-2005 season at the age of 21.
A Move Abroad to Turkey's Galatasaray
After a successful debut season in France's Ligue 1, Ribery made an unlikely move to Turkey, where he joined up with perennial title contender Galatasaray, then coached by Gheorge Hagi. Hagi, who was known in his playing days as the "Maradona of the Carpathians" for his genius on the ball, helped the wily Ribery emerge as one of Europe's top young attacking talents. In his first and only season in Turkey, Ribery helped Galatasaray win the Turkish Cup by scoring one goal and setting up another in a 5-1 demolition of rivals Fenerbahce.
Ribery Becomes a Star at Marseille
Ribery returned to France in controversial fashion after walking out of Galatasaray, claiming the club owed him over four months in wages. The European Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) later ruled in Ribery's favor, asserting that Galatasaray had terminated his contract by failing to meet its financial obligations to Frank. Ribery starred for Marseille for two seasons, making 60 league appearances and scoring 11 goals. With Ribery pulling the strings in midfield, Marseille finished runners up to Lyon in the 2006-2007 Ligue 1 season.
France's New Midfield Maestro
While at Marseille, Ribery made his debut for Les Bleus, playing 74 minutes of a friendly match against Mexico in May of 2006. That summer, Ribery played for France at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, scoring one goal as France advanced to the Final against Italy, where they lost on penalty kick's following Zinedine Zidane's infamous expulsion for head butting Marco Materazzi. After establishing himself as a fixture in France's midfield, Ribery started all three matches for France at the 2008 European Championships in Austria-Switzerland. The French team played abysmally, drawing 0-0 with Romania before crashing out of the tournament with losses to Hollan (1-4) and Italy (0-2).
