Florence (Italy) (AFP)

Twenty-four hours after landing in Florence, Franck Ribery began his life on "Viola" on Thursday with a press conference where, in French and Italian, he repeated his "special love" for football and promised to help the young people of Fiorentina.

The highlight of this first day of French Florentine will come in the evening, when it will be presented to the public Stadium Artemio Franchi, his new playground.

But the impact of his arrival has already felt in town, where the first flocked jerseys of the N.7, the only ones exposed in the window of the official shop, have already appeared.

And the great excitement in the Franchi's usually very quiet press room, turned into a sauna by thunderstorms and affluence, also showed that it is not a player like the others who has joined the Viola.

In front of his wife and agent Alain Migliaccio, Ribery explained why at 36, he had chosen a large European championship rather than the one, necessarily more lucrative, of China or the 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.

"There is a special culture here, people are passionate about football, it's a great experience for me to come to Italy, to be able to enjoy every day in the field, to have a lot of fun", he added before telling his arrival Wednesday.

"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.

- A big house -

"I'm very motivated, I'm always hungry, I've signed two years to bring my experience and be decisive, to bring something new to this club.It's a club that has ambitions and wants to go into the We will try to finish in the top five, even in the Top 3, even if we know that it will be difficult, "said the Frenchman.

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.

After some answers in Italian, which earned him applause, the ex-Munichois relaxed and explained with a smile that 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 is "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