Florence (Italy) (AFP)

Smokers, games of light, cheering tifosi at the Artemio Franchi stadium and Rocky music: Franck Ribéry received Thursday a rock star for his first day as a player of Fiorentina, already conquered by the French.

Nearly 10,000 supporters of the Viola have gathered in the main stadium of the Florentine stadium, for some already dressed in the flocking shirt of the N.7, the only presentation in the window of the official shop of the club.

And it was at a spectacular American show that they attended, perhaps inspired by the new president of the club, the Italian-American Rocco Commisso, expected Friday in Florence for a first salute to his new star.

The highlight of the show was of course the entrance of Bayern Munich's former star, "Eye of the Tiger" in the background, before some juggling and technical gestures under the colorful movements of the projectors.

"And now, he's VIOLA!" Exclaimed the stadium announcer, as the audience sang "Ribery Seven!" and reserved for the club's sports director, Daniele Pradè, a huge ovation, as if he had scored the winning goal against Juventus, the sworn enemy.

The French did not cut his first "Who does not jump is Juventino!" and has for the rest managed a flawless, talkative and joker, smiling and very comfortable in Italian, learned including with his former teammate Bayern Luca Toni.

- "Il Fenomeno" -

"I'm very happy and I'm with you, I love Italy, I love the language and I love Fiorentina, Forza Viola!", He said, inviting the public to take again the song "Il Fenomeno" who escorts him since his arrival Wednesday in Tuscany.

A little earlier, at a press conference, the 36-year-old winger explained to his wife and agent Alain Migliaccio why he had chosen a big European championship rather than the one, necessarily more lucrative, of China. or Gulf.

"Football is my life, I always have a special love for football and that's why I absolutely wanted to stay in Europe," he said.

"I had an extraordinary welcome yesterday, having seen such passionate people, who love football, it's unbelievable, it makes me think of Marseille and it's always special, I like this mentality, it suits me" he promised.

At the end of the 12 years at Bayern Munich, Ribery recalled that even less often lined up by his coach after an injury in January, he was "very important in the group, especially for young people".

The young people, precisely, will have been the great theme of this first Italian press conference of the former Marseillais. "I like young players, I like to help them and if I can, I always do it, it's my mentality," assured the one who over the seasons would have gone from crazy to old wise dog.

"I want to explain to them how to just think about football, to have fun, to have fun, all my life, I've played at the top level, I've invested a lot, I've worked a lot. years at Bayern is that there are reasons, "he said.

All smiles, the former Munich also explained what had been the main difficulty in the negotiations. "I told them the biggest problem was finding me a house, but a big one, because I have five children!"

Finally, he said that even if he was "not ready", he made himself available to face Naples on Saturday at the opening of the championship.

"I need a little bit of time, I do not know how long, but if the Mister + asks me, I'm coming in. Ten minutes, five minutes, two minutes ..."

© 2019 AFP