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Bayern Munich midfielder Franck Ribery has said that he rejected an offer made by La Liga giants Real Madrid in 2009 because he was told by Bayern Munich that he was as crucial to them as Lionel Messi is to Barcelona.
The 32-year-old joined the Bundesliga giants for a fee of €25 million on a four-year contract deal from Marseille in 2007.
“I had intensive talks with Uli Hoeness, who was still president back then, and chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.They told me I should not go, how the club needed me, how I was as important for Bayern as Lionel Messi was for Barcelona,” Ribery told Goal in an exclusive interview.
"Real tried, they wanted me. I don't know what price Bayern wanted them to pay. In the end I am happy how it ended,” he added.
Louis van Gaal was a bad man: Ribery
The midfielder further said that he was considering the option to leave the Bavarians after Louis van Gaal had taken over the reigns of the club from Jurgen Klinsmann in 2009.
“His idea was that he did not care about names at all, you don't need stars, everybody had to prove themselves again. We had problems on a human level.When he started, nobody knew what was going to happen,” he said.
“The first contact with him was already poisoned. As a professional you lose your trust. He does great things on the pitch. But the coach Van Gaal was a bad man. Our relationship was crushed,” he added. "It was a burden. Many clubs tried to persuade me to move: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, Chelsea, Manchester City. You start to think. I made up my mind about where my future should lie. I think that's human.”
With him and Arjen Robben, patrolling the midfield, Ribery said that he and Robben are much different to the rest of the squad in their style of play and there is a big difference to the way the team plays when the duo aren't there.
"Arjen and I are players which the team otherwise doesn't have.We are different. We go into these one-on-one situations, attack all the time and risk being kicked. This risk is decisive for our football.”
"Bayern play differently when we're not there. It would be important for all of us to be fit. With David Alaba and us, three key players are missing. We have to fight through this phase,” he said.
Would like to help Bayern even after my time here is done: Ribery
Talking about his future plans, the winger, who turns 32 today, said that he wishes to contribute to the club in some way or the other even after his contract expires in 2017.
"To be honest, I have no idea what will happen after my career. My focus is on the next two years first. I feel great in Munich, my family does too. Why shouldn't there be a place for me within this club after 2017? Why would I not stay at Bayern? The bosses might make something possible for me. It might be as a youth coach or something else. I am open to many things,” he said.
"At the moment I am feeling very, very comfortable here, despite my injury. You never know how your body will react. I would not have imagined my ankle causing so much trouble after facing Shakhtar Donetsk. I was in top shape. Now I have to wait until it gets better,” added Ribery.
