Franck Ribery still rues 2013 Ballon d’Or defeat as he prepares for coaching career

Frank Ribery says the pain of missing out on the 2013 Ballon d’Or has never fully gone away, despite a remarkable season in which he won every available trophy with Bayern Munich.

The former France international, now 43, finished third in the voting behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Thirteen years on, Ribery believes the outcome was unfair after what he considers the finest campaign of his career.

Speaking during a visit to the Trento Sport Festival in northern Italy, in comments reported by RMC Sport, Ribery said: “2013 was my golden year.

“I was the best player in the Bundesliga and in Europe. Perhaps I deserved the Ballon d’Or. Not winning it was painful. It was a disappointment, and I have no problem admitting that.

“It was a magical season. I won everything and performed excellently with Bayern Munich and the national team. What more could I have done?”

Ribery ended his playing career in October 2022 after a final spell with Salernitana. He then joined the Italian club’s coaching staff, remaining there until March 2024.

Since then, he has completed his coaching qualifications and says he is ready to begin the next stage of his career in management.

“I realised that I had changed jobs,” Ribery said. “For me, managing the team, showing empathy and building a relationship with the players will be extremely important. That comes before formations and tactics.

“I worked with many great coaches, such as Jupp Heynckes and Carlo Ancelotti, as well as Davide Nicola and Giuseppe Iachini. I learned something from each of them.

“I would like to play attacking football. My team must win the ball back quickly and immediately look for a goal. In Europe, I really admire Bayern Munich under Kompany.”