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At 36, he could have opted for withdrawal or a golden exile in a minor championship, but after winning everything with Bayern Munich, Franck Ribéry chose to continue at the highest level and discover the Italian Serie A. This Wednesday his signing for Fiorentina became official.

"Ribéryssimo!", Titled the Corriere dello Sport , one of the great Italian sports newspapers. The veteran French extreme arrived as a rock star at the Florence airport on Wednesday, acclaimed by fans and received by Giancarlo Antognoni , world champion in 1982 and legend of the Tuscan club, of which he is one of its leaders.

"Welcome legend," the Serie A club tweeted next to a photo of Ribéry on the runway showing a club scarf. "I am happy, I am here with my family. I talked for a week with Fiorentina, I also talked with Luca Toni (his former partner in Munich, and former Fiorentina). He told me that Fiorentina is a great club and that the city it's beautiful, "he said in a video uploaded to Facebook by his new club.

The former Bayern, dressed in a 'viola' polo shirt, arrives free after spending 12 seasons in Munich, where he won 23 titles. "It was crucial for me to sign a two-year contract," he confessed to the German Sky Sports chain. "Another important factor is being able to have my family with me. I am very happy to be able to play high level football for two more years," he added.

Stellar presentation

Despite a very complicated last season (16th), Fiorentina is still a historic and ambitious club in Italy, and the arrival of Ribéry appears as the first big blow of the new president, the Italian-American businessman Rocco Commisso . "Tomorrow we will present it to the whole city. We will open the Artemio Franchi stadium so that everyone can greet it . We look forward to a full stadium, as this champion deserves," said Joe Barone, the Commisso representative in Italy.

The Frenchman could be summoned by his coach Vincenzo Montella for the first league game, against Naples. Ribéry's legs or waist may not be the same with 36 years, but he retains talent and his unpredictable game, in addition to his experience to guide young people (Chiesa, Vlahovic, Milenkovic ...). With Chiesa on the right, Ribéry on the left and Boateng in the center, the 'viola' club is allowed to dream.

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