How Bayern Munich Can Get the Most from 'Elder Statesman' Franck Ribery

Franck Ribery returned to Bayern Munich training on Thursday, literally taking his first steps towards a comeback as he dribbled the ball briefly with rehabilitation trainer Andreas Schlumberger (via Spox.com, in German).

The Frenchman has struggled with ankle problems for months, his last appearance for Bayern coming in March.

In over half a year since, he’s missed 28 games. And during Ribery’s time on the sideline, Douglas Costa joined the club and has emerged as an obvious heir to the aging veteran, who turned 32 years of age in April.

Ribery was named a Ballon d’Or finalist in January of 2014, and for the majority of the last decade has been an unquestionably key player for the Bavarians. Yet, as Costa puts in brilliant performance after brilliant performance in precisely the same role as the crafty dribbler and goal-assist machine on the left wing, the veteran is becoming more and more of a distant memory with each week.

In all likelihood, the era of Franck Ribery as Bayern’s marquee playmaker is over. However, that does not mean the Frenchman cannot have a major influence on the team between now and the end of his contract in 2017. He just has to adapt his game and transition into a different role.

At this point, it’s not a good idea for Ribery to even try to become the week-in, week-out producer he once was. A few months prior to his ankle injury, he had knee problems that saw him miss about two months of action, and later he picked up a muscular injury that kept him out for two weeks.

It’s normal for aging stars to become more injury-prone, and once one or two problems occur, more can follow rather easily.

With Costa in the team, Bayern don’t require the same output from Ribery that they once did, and they can use the Frenchman sparingly to ensure his full recovery and freshness for the matches in which he’s needed.

Costa is a marvelous athlete and will remain in the peak of his natural physical prime for the next few years. Yet every player needs a rest from time to time, and Ribery is a unique kind of backup.

There are some great attacking players in the Bayern team, but only Ribery, Costa and Mario Gotze are primarily playmakers, and the Frenchman is a more adept wide player than Gotze. 

Ribery's pace and familiarity with wing play are advantages he holds over his German counterpart. In terms of depth, Ribery offers a skill set that none of his teammates can match.

Beyond the possibility of replacing Costa in the starting lineup from time to time, Ribery also has the wisdom and experience of a veteran who has won everything at club level.

As brilliant as Costa has been, he still hasn’t delivered in the latter stages of the Champions League. And in fairness, neither did Ribery in his early years—few do, in fact. But Ribery lifted himself to the next level in the spring of 2013, playing a key role in both of Bayern’s goals in the Champions League final.

Alexandra Beier/Associated Press

At the time, Bayern didn’t have much of a backup for Ribery in the event that he might have failed. There was the young and unproven Xherdan Shaqiri on the bench; the only experienced attackers were Mario Gomez and Claudio Pizarro.

Now, if Bayern reach the latter stages of the Champions League and Costa doesn’t have the impact needed, they have a hero in Ribery on the bench to replace him for the final 15, 30 or 45 minutes. It’s a huge benefit to be able to call on such experience, and despite his age, the veteran should be able to keep up the pace as a second-half substitute.

Finally, Ribery can be an enormous benefit off the pitch. He’s expressed many times in interviews and press conferences just how much Bayern means to him. The club stood beside him in challenging moments of his life, such as his investigation for solicitation of an underage prostitute and his recurring injuries.

He’s the kind of player who in all likelihood will stick around in some form or another even after he retires. And even when not being used on the pitch, he has something to offer his teammates in terms of wisdom and experience.

"

AWESOME: Franck Ribery & David Alaba's bromance. pic.twitter.com/IowmmPrlKL

— Football Funnys (@FootballFunnys) October 4, 2015"

In the dressing room and during training, Ribery can be an enormous influence. In fact, he already has had a big impact on new signing Kingsley Coman, and in all likelihood, he is one of the reasons why the 19-year-old has transitioned so smoothly from Juventus to life at the Allianz Arena.

On Ribery (as well as fellow French speaker Mehdi Benatia), Coman recently told the official Bayern website: “They always have advice for me,” adding that he speaks with his compatriot every day.

And fans can visibly see a bit of Ribery’s style in Costa, who by no coincidence has taken his game to the next level since joining Bayern during the summer.

Right now, it's important that Ribery isn't rushed back into the squad. Philipp Lahm wasn't earlier this year, and it was to his benefit. Bayern don't need Ribery urgently, and they can slowly ease him back into competitive football to ensure a relapse does not occur.

Once back, he still should have plenty to offer as a substitute and occasional starter. And even outside of competitive games, his influence as a role model cannot be underestimated.

He may be aging, but we surely haven't seen the last of Franck Ribery at Bayern Munich.

@Mr_Bundesliga