Ribery’s kid brother puts hand up for A-League shot

Steeven Ribéry, the younger brother of France and Bayern Munich great Franck, is looking to kick-start his career in the A-League.

Steeven Ribery

Source: Getty Images

And any possible deal, according to his representatives, could act as a carrot to ultimately entice Franck Ribéry, 35, to Australia.

While 2006 FIFA World Cup runner-up Franck has enjoyed a storied career in Germany, his younger sibling, 22, has yet to ignite, despite displaying early promise as a teenager with Bayern’s second team, for whom he made 50 appearances.

He has since had spells with hometown club Boulogne and most recently Gazélec Ajaccio in France’s Ligue 2, without commanding regular first team football.

A right winger - in homage to brother Franck - he is currently without a club after parting company with Ajaccio, and has been offered to the A-League as he hunts a competition in which to start afresh.

Likened to Bayern’s Dutch maestro Arjen Robben by the club’s reserve team coach Heiko Vogel during his formative years in Munich, Steeven Ribéry is still bidding to move out of his famous sibling’s shadow.

“Steeven has talent," Franck told Le Parisien newspaper in 2015. “But he has to work an enormous amount to achieve his goals.
“In any case, I have faith in him, and he will have all of my support."

Yunus Yildiz, of Sydney-based AFS Sports Management, has sought the feedback of A-League clubs over his availability, citing the possibility that UEFA Champions League winner Franck would look favorably at the A-League as a possible destination were his brother based here.

Franck is about to enter his 11th season with Bayern, and it might be his swan-song campaign.

“Obviously Steeven is not Franck but he has ability in his own right and would welcome the chance to come and play here,” said Yildiz.

“He’s quick and clever and also has an eye for goal.

“The brothers are extremely close and of course if he was based here it would be much easier to tempt Franck to one day join him when he finally finishes up at Bayern.”

Franck Ribery’s honour roll is extensive, with eight Bundesliga titles to his name, five DFB Cups and two Champions League runners-up medals to go with his winner’s medal of 2013.

He has 80 goals in 248 appearances for Bayern, and 16 in 81 caps for France.


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3 min read
Published 14 August 2018 7:05pm
By Dave Lewis

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