SiN
06-07-2006, 10:17 AM
Manchester United want him. So do Arsenal, Spurs and Lyon. He is the new darling of the French fans, who chant his name when he comes on as a late substitute in national team matches, and has been hailed as the "next Zidane" so many times he must be getting bored of it.
But before the 23-year-old midfielder was receiving standing ovations in international friendlies and turning down $20 million offers from Premiership clubs, Franck Ribery wore the yellow-red colors of Galatasaray. He joined the Istanbul club in January of 2005 as an obscure young player from Metz, and quickly became a favorite of the fans at Ali Sami Yen. When he scored the opening goal in Galatasaray's 5-1 thrashing of Fenerbahce in the 2005 Turkish Cup final, Cimbom fans declared that their board had finally scored a coup: the young man they had nicknamed "Scarface" was a rising star who would do great things for their team in the years to come.
But just one month later, on one day in June, shocking news appeared in Turkish newspapers: Ribery had packed his bags, returned to France and signed a contract with Olympique Marseille. The Galatasaray administration was just as surprised as the fans. Nobody could believe it, but the proof came in an infamous photograph first published in the sports paper Fanatik showing a smiling Ribery posing in an OM jersey. A furor erupted in Istanbul: their young star, still officially under contract with Galatasaray, had betrayed them.
In the days that followed, Ribery gave an explanation for the move: he had not been paid by Galatasaray for three months, and therefore under FIFA rules his contract with the Istanbul club was void. The Galatasaray board vehemently denied the allegation, but fans knew it was possible. Galatasaray was (and still is) deep in debt and had already acquired a reputation for late payments, a reputation solidified by the Ribery fiasco. The affair became increasingly bizarre, with allegations of a visit by a Galatasaray board member to Ribery's home in France, which ended in a baseball bat attack on the player's car. (Ribery's Istanbul agent, Haim Fresco, was also involved in that incident. Interestingly, he is currently negotiating with Galatasaray on behalf of their new target Thomas Gravesen).
The matter was eventually sent to FIFA for arbitration, and Ribery thrived at Marseille, quicky attracting the attention of the football world. He was selected for France's World Cup squad and made his debut with Les Bleus against Mexico in late May, to the joy of France fans. "The way the public immediately adopted him and love him is amazing," said his teammate Thierry Henri. "Franck will play in every match now."
Ribery's future with Marseille is now uncertain. United's £9 million offer was turned down, but Ribery is reportedly eager to leave OM following coach Jean Fernandez's resignation in May. A move to Lyon seems the most likely, if the Ligue 1 champions can afford the price tag. Marseille are desperate to hang on to him, but if he signs with Lyon they will surely profit more from his loss than Galatasaray did one year ago this month.
But before the 23-year-old midfielder was receiving standing ovations in international friendlies and turning down $20 million offers from Premiership clubs, Franck Ribery wore the yellow-red colors of Galatasaray. He joined the Istanbul club in January of 2005 as an obscure young player from Metz, and quickly became a favorite of the fans at Ali Sami Yen. When he scored the opening goal in Galatasaray's 5-1 thrashing of Fenerbahce in the 2005 Turkish Cup final, Cimbom fans declared that their board had finally scored a coup: the young man they had nicknamed "Scarface" was a rising star who would do great things for their team in the years to come.
But just one month later, on one day in June, shocking news appeared in Turkish newspapers: Ribery had packed his bags, returned to France and signed a contract with Olympique Marseille. The Galatasaray administration was just as surprised as the fans. Nobody could believe it, but the proof came in an infamous photograph first published in the sports paper Fanatik showing a smiling Ribery posing in an OM jersey. A furor erupted in Istanbul: their young star, still officially under contract with Galatasaray, had betrayed them.
In the days that followed, Ribery gave an explanation for the move: he had not been paid by Galatasaray for three months, and therefore under FIFA rules his contract with the Istanbul club was void. The Galatasaray board vehemently denied the allegation, but fans knew it was possible. Galatasaray was (and still is) deep in debt and had already acquired a reputation for late payments, a reputation solidified by the Ribery fiasco. The affair became increasingly bizarre, with allegations of a visit by a Galatasaray board member to Ribery's home in France, which ended in a baseball bat attack on the player's car. (Ribery's Istanbul agent, Haim Fresco, was also involved in that incident. Interestingly, he is currently negotiating with Galatasaray on behalf of their new target Thomas Gravesen).
The matter was eventually sent to FIFA for arbitration, and Ribery thrived at Marseille, quicky attracting the attention of the football world. He was selected for France's World Cup squad and made his debut with Les Bleus against Mexico in late May, to the joy of France fans. "The way the public immediately adopted him and love him is amazing," said his teammate Thierry Henri. "Franck will play in every match now."
Ribery's future with Marseille is now uncertain. United's £9 million offer was turned down, but Ribery is reportedly eager to leave OM following coach Jean Fernandez's resignation in May. A move to Lyon seems the most likely, if the Ligue 1 champions can afford the price tag. Marseille are desperate to hang on to him, but if he signs with Lyon they will surely profit more from his loss than Galatasaray did one year ago this month.