Rome (AFP)
Frenchman Franck Ribery arrived at the Florence airport Wednesday night, cheered by fans of Fiorentina, where he has to commit for two seasons after a medical visit.
"Welcome legend," wrote on Twitter the Tuscan Serie A club with a photo on the tarmac of the 36-year-old French winger, polo and scarf of the Fiorentina on the back. The former glory of Bayern Munich is free of any contract since his departure this summer from Bavaria after 12 seasons and 23 titles.
After having said "ready for a new challenge" Monday on Instagram, Ribery staged Wednesday on this social network his private plane trip and his arrival on the Italian soil. We see him in his new purple colors, signing autographs and acclaimed by dozens of tifosi, before seeing him discover his new city, Florence, from a panorama accompanied by Florentine leaders.
At the airport, he even boasted a few sentences in Italian: "I'm happy, I'm here with my family, I talked for a week with Fiorentina, I also spoke with Luca Toni (his ex-teammate at Bayern, passed by Florence) He told me that Fiorentina was a big club and that the city was beautiful, "he enthused in a video posted by his future club on Facebook. "I also like Italian, I speak it a little even if I have to improve myself".
"For me, it was crucial that I sign a contract for two years," he told Sky Sports's German channel. "Another important factor is to be able to have my family with me, and I am very happy to be able to play high level football for another two years."
The club has not yet formalized this contract and the duration of two years, the player must first pass his medical examination.
The former Metz player, Galatasaray and Marseille, finalist of the 2006 World Cup with France (81 caps, 16 goals), had become in May the most successful player in the history of the Bundesliga, with nine crowns , honoring his nickname: "Kaiser Franck".
© 2019 AFP