Franck Ribery Belittles Cristiano Ronaldo Mask Gesture by Real Madrid Fans

Cristiano Ronaldo received the love of Real Madrid fans during Los Blancos' Champions League tie with Galatasaray, with around 45,000 masks of the Portuguese player's face worn by followers, but Franck Ribery isn't looking for the masses of Bayern Munich to do the same.

As confirmed in a report by Gregory Fortune of RTL and via Ian Holyman of ESPN, the French forward believes Bayern followers don't need to carry out a planned stunt in retaliation:

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It's good for Ronaldo, but the love that they can give me here is even stronger. I know that here they don't need to show that through such gestures. On the contrary, I know the Bayern fans love me a lot and I feel that every day.

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Ribery and Ronaldo are currently locked in a battle for the 2013 Ballon d'Or trophy. Both players state impressive claims to the prize and have an excellent chance of outscoring Lionel Messi when the votes are counted.

Indeed, it would be a major surprise if the aforementioned trio aren't outlined as the remaining three when the final shortlist is revealed on Dec. 9.

Ribery's nomination came after a stunning season with Bayern. Although the treble-winning team isn't defined by individuals, he managed to score 11 goals and provide 16 assists across the Bundesliga and Champions League, per WhoScored.com.

Like other Bayern players, Ribery's claim to the Ballon d'Or is perhaps dampened considering the brilliance of many stars within the side Jupp Heynckes passed on to Pep Guardiola.

Unlike Ronaldo, who consistently grabs headlines with stunning individual displays, Bayern's success is based on the entire squad.

The Portuguese star's 25 goals and five assists since the start of the current campaign certainly strengthen his case, a notion perhaps hinted at when FIFA extended the voting process after his terrific hat-trick sent Portugal to the World Cup, per Ian Ladyman of the Daily Mail.

Despite a showing of solidarity from Madrid fans, Ribery's assured confidence is typical of a player who never doubts his own ability.

The 30-year-old doesn't need the enduring love of fans or major press attention to perform admirably, a trait that has served him well throughout his career but may end up costing him the Ballon d'Or.

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