‘Forever an injustice’ – Franck Ribery reflects on 2013 Ballon d’Or snub | OneFootball

It may have been over 11 years ago, but Franck Ribery is still not over missing out on the Ballon d’Or back in 2013. At the time, the former France international described missing out on the prestigious individual prize as a “theft”. The passing of time has not dulled that sense of injustice.

Ribery came third in the Ballon d’Or ranking that year, behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. It was Portugal international Ronaldo that won the prize. However, it came during a year that Ribery excelled individually, whilst his club, Bayern Munich, enjoyed great collective success. That year, the German side won the UEFA Champions League, the Bundesliga, the German Cup, and the Club World Cup. Ribery also won the prize for best European player that year.

However, that was not recognised with a Ballon d’Or title. Speaking to L’Équipe, Ribery has once again evoked that snub. “It was the perfect year. I couldn’t have done any better. This Ballon d’Or will forever be an injustice. I am still looking for explanations,” he began.

The former France international added, “Messi and Ronaldo have always shown me respect. They knew that I was at their table. Being completely humble, in 2013, I had nothing to envy about them.” The Frenchman retired in 2022.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle