"Fury on the pitch": Shaqiri names his best Bayern team-mate | OneFootball

During his time at FC Bayern, Xherdan Shaqiri played alongside numerous top stars. However, one teammate particularly impressed him.

Xherdan Shaqiri recalled his time at FC Bayern in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, revealing which teammate impressed him the most. The 33-year-old, who played for the Munich team from 2012 to 2015, named Franck Ribéry without hesitation. "It's hard to name one. I've played with many strong, diverse, and incomparable players. But if I had to, I would say Ribéry," explained the Swiss player.

Shaqiri emphasized how much the FC Bayern club legend impressed him from the first training sessions. "Off the field, he was calm and smiling, but on the field, he was a fury. And then, what a dribble, what quality. Franck is one of the best people I've ever met in football," he raved about his former teammate. Ribéry won numerous titles with Bayern, including the historic Triple in 2013, and shaped an entire era at Säbener Straße.

Shaqiri also talks about his coaches at FC Bayern

The offensive player also spoke about the coaches who have particularly shaped his career in the conversation. He named Pep Guardiola, with whom he worked in Munich, as the best coach: "He tried to revolutionize football in Germany and at FC Bayern, and I think he succeeded."

Shaqiri also mentioned Ottmar Hitzfeld with respect: "I would also like to mention Ottmar Hitzfeld, a real man, whom I am very close to. A coach from another era." Hitzfeld coached the Swiss national team from 2008 to 2014 and was a formative figure for Shaqiri in his early years in international football.

Photo: IMAGO

Shaqiri, who retired from the Swiss national team last year, is now playing again for his youth club FC Basel. There he celebrated great successes last season: With 18 goals, he became the top scorer of the Super League and led the traditional club to the championship. Despite his 33 years, the left-footer is not thinking about retiring. "I'm 33 and still have a strong desire to conquer the world and prove myself. I want to win and receive many more awards," he said.

The former Bayern professional also gave a glimpse into the future: "After football, I see myself in the business world. I have already founded several companies, but at the moment, football is still at the center. I want to prove that I'm still a crazy genius. I have so much more to give."

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.