Hoeness insists Ribery “bazaar” is over

July 14, 2009

Bayern Munich manager Uli Hoeness is insisting that haggling over the possible sale of the club’s midfield star Franck Ribery is over and the Frenchman will stay at the German club, TZ newspaper reported Tuesday.

Ribery is not for sale, Hoeness said: This is not a bazaar, he is going to stay and that’s it. We are not in the market for bargaining even for 70 million euros or more.”

The 26-year-old, a member of the Bayern squad for the past two years, is known to have been attracted by the lure of Real Madrid, but the high-spending Spanish club baulked at the 80 million euro price tag set for the France international.

Last week, Real Madrid resigned themselves to the fact that they would not be able to recruit him. Real’s director general Jorge Valdano said: “We have the feeling that Ribery will not quit Bayern this season,

“Bayern finds many ways to say no, sometimes saying it categorically, sometimes by talking of a transfer fee of 80 million euros, which is another way of saying no.”

In recent days the former Olympique Marseille star, who is contracted to Bayern until 2011, has been trying to rediscover the favour he enjoyed with fans, telling German media he is committed to the ex-Bundesliga champions.

Meanwhile, Ribery is having treatment to a knee injury which forced him to pull out of training on Monday.

Some German sports commentators have interpreted the ailment as a sign by the player he wants to leave.

But Hoeness dismissed the idea, saying: “If he’s hurt, he’s hurt- just like any other player.

BERLIN (AFP)

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