Why Franck Ribery Will Spend 1 More Season at Bayern Munich

Franck Ribery will forever be remembered in the annals of Bayern Munich's history as the catalyst who sparked the club's revival in the late 2000s and made its current level of greatness possible.

At the time of his signing in 2007, the German giants were still excellent in domestic competitions but were decidedly a couple of steps off from Europe's very best: a club worthy of the Champions League quarterfinals but not a side in contention for a spot in the final. They had the resources and the clout to sign good but not elite players.

And then Ribery came.

A hero of the France team that had narrowly lost the World Cup final in 2006, Ribery's addition was a major coup for Bayern. A late bloomer, he was accessible to the Bavarians and has repaid their faith outstandingly over the years. His name became synonymous with Bayern's brilliance, and it's no surprise he was honored as a Ballon d'Or finalist after Bayern won the treble at the end of the 2012-13 campaign.

Michael Probst/Associated Press

The last year has been heartbreaking for Ribery, however, and at the present time, he looks to be a thing of the past. Repeated injuries last season limited the 32-year-old to just 23 appearances in all competitions, and a nasty ankle problem has kept him sidelined since March.

In the meantime, Douglas Costa has been signed and has taken to Munich like a fish to water—the Brazilian injecting the same kind of explosive pace, fine dribbling skill and creativity that Ribery once did. For Bayern, the transfer has addressed an issue that was always going to become a concern, with Ribery now into his 30s. They look to have a long future ahead with the 25-year-old star pulling the strings on the wing.

For Ribery, however, Costa's arrival has put the final nail in the coffin of his career as a key player at Bayern Munich.

Still with more than a year-and-a-half left on his contract, it's hard to see the once-dazzling winger becoming the linchpin of the Bayern attack that he once was. That is, even if he does manage to return to the pitch. There has been little word from Munich regarding the specifics of when he is actually expected to return.

As such, it's hard to see Ribery remaining in Munich beyond the end of his current contract. At the same time, it's hard to see him leaving before it is over, either.

In 2014, Bild reporters Christian Falk and Tobias Altschaffl published (in German) a report outlining the Bayern salary structure, which revealed Ribery's wage at a club-high €12 million per year. A year prior, the Frenchman had signed a four-year contract, which remains the most recent update to his working terms.

Given his age and recent injury record, it's hard to imagine another club willing to pay anywhere near Ribery's wage, even if Bayern were to let him go for free. It's conceivable that Bayern might subsidize his wage if he were to leave the club, as Real Madrid did for Raul when he joined Schalke in 2010.

Alexander Hassenstein/Associated Press

However, Ribery's relationship with Bayern is different from Raul's with Real. Earlier this year, and even in the midst of a disastrous, injury-ridden campaign, Ribery reiterated his commitment to Bayern:

"There will not be another club after Bayern," he told TZ (h/t Goal's Stefan Coerts). "I don't want to go to another club in the future.

"Perhaps I might go for a completely different experience and play in the USA or Dubai for one season.

"But I will never play for another club than Bayern again in Europe. I have too much respect for the club and for everything they have done for me."

A month later, in February, Ribery even said he was considering applying for German citizenship, as noted by Bild (h/t Sky Sports).

Looking forward, Costa's emergence and the continued rise of Kingsley Coman may limit Ribery's contribution to the Bayern team during games. But what the veteran offers in the dressing room and on the training pitch cannot be underestimated. He has a great sense of humor, and his language skills have helped the likes of Coman and Mehdi Benatia settle in at Bayern.

Ribery may be expensive to keep, but he'd be expensive to offload as well, and in all likelihood, he wouldn't be interested in leaving anyway. As it appears now, Ribery will likely stick around and collect his paycheck until the end of his contract, then possibly take on a post-retirement position at the club.

@Mr_Bundesliga