- Ribery & Robben starred for Bayern
- Frenchman has now retired
- Dutchman pays tribute
WHAT HAPPENED? Ribery waved an emotional goodbye to football at the weekend after announcing his retirement at the age of 39. The Frenchman enjoyed a brilliant partnership with Robben at Bayern, indeed the duo were known to the club's fans as 'Robbery,' and the Dutchman has now paid tribute to his former team-mate.
WHAT THEY SAID: "Thank you for everything my friend!.. It was always a great pleasure with you on and off the field!" he wrote on Instagram. "You can be really proud of everything you have achieved!.. It was and will always be an honor for me to be part of Robbery. Enjoy the time with your family now and see you soon!"
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Ribery won 18 major titles in 12 years at Bayern and, like Robben, will go down as a true legend of the club. The Frenchman was also named Europe's Footballer of the Year in 2013 and scored 124 goals in 425 appearances for the Bavarian giants.
IN THREE PHOTOS:
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GettyDID YOU KNOW? Ribery provided 92 assists in 273 Bundesliga appearances – the most of all non-German players since detailed data collection began in 2004-05.
WHAT NEXT FOR RIBERY? The Frenchman is set to continue with Serie A side Salernitana in a non-playing capacity and will work alongside head coach Davide Nicola.