Former Bayern Munich and France winger Franck Ribery has revealed that he almost had his leg amputated towards the end of his career due to a post-surgery infection.
Ribery, who won nine Bundesliga titles and was capped 81 times by his country, retired after a 22-year professional career in 2022 following an injury-plagued final spell at Salernitana.
While his playing career in Italy was forgettable, it was at the Serie A side where Ribery went through his most frightening ordeal.
Ribery, 41, told L’Equipe that after what seemed a routine operation on his knee in his final season, he almost lost his leg after suffering from a flesh-eating infection.
“My knee hurt more and more,” Ribery explained. “I was no longer training between matches but rather recovering to protect myself.
“I went under the knife in Austria. The operation went well, with a plate inserted inside. But I had a bad infection almost five months later.
“They removed the plate, but the infection had eaten away at me. It was so bad that I had holes in my leg. I had contracted Staphylococcus aureus.
“I was in the emergency room at the hospital in Austria for 12 days. I was really scared. They could have cut off my leg.”
Soon after, Ribery called time on a career that saw him star at Galatasaray, Marseille, Fiorentina and Bayern among other clubs, with his time in Munich most notable. Ribery scored 124 goals over 12 years with the German giants and was famously part of an attack that featured fellow star winger Arjen Robben on the opposite flank.
But one moment at Bayern still troubles the Frenchman; when he lost out on the Ballon d’Or in 2013.
Ribery was widely tipped to win the award after leading Bayern to a historic treble, providing an assist in the Champions League final, winning the UEFA Best Player in Europe award and scoring in the UEFA Super Cup. However, Cristiano Ronaldo won the award after the voting period was controversially extended for two weeks due to a lack of “eligible voters.”
“I had everything except that award that year,” Ribery, who ultimately finished third in the voting behind Lionel Messi, said. “It was the perfect year; I could not have performed any better. That Ballon d’Or will always be a lingering injustice.
“I am still searching for an explanation, although some have offered their takes. I will never understand why the vote was delayed by more than two weeks, when I was leading among journalists. If the voting had occurred as it should, I would have won.”
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