Karl-Heinz Rummenigge reports on a “world record” offer for Franck Ribery

In 2008, FC Bayern rejected a “world record” offer for Franck Ribery. The former chairman of the board, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, revealed this in the Picture on sunday.

“We had an amazing offer for Franck Ribery, which at that time would have meant a world record in terms of transfer fees,” said Rummenigge, without naming the club.

Ribery moved from Olympique Marseille to Munich in 2007 for allegedly 30 million euros. By 2008, the record fee in football was 77.5 million euros. For this sum, Zinedine Zidane was transferred from Juventus Turin to Real Madrid in 2001. The offer for Ribery must have been at least above this 77.5 million euros.

“Then Uli Hoeneß, our finance boss at the time, Karl Hopfner, and I sat down to make a groundbreaking decision. We decided not to give up Franck – and not to sell any more players who are so important for the quality of the team Factor “, explained Rummenigge.

Ribery stayed with Bayern for twelve years before moving to Fiorentina in 2019 after 124 goals and 182 assists in 425 competitive games. The 38-year-old Frenchman now plays for US Salernitana in Serie A.

Rummenigge: Ribery decision a “turning point”

Rummenigge said the decision not to give up Ribery marked a “turning point” for Bayern. “It was finally clear: We are a buying and not a sales club. That was a brave decision, but that was and is one of the main reasons for FC Bayern’s success today,” said the 66-year-old.

The Munich team recently won the German championship nine times in a row. In addition, they have achieved two Champions League triumphs and five DFB Cup victories in the past nine years.

Rummenigge, who had a decisive influence on the fortunes of FCB as Vice President and CEO for a total of 30 years, handed over his post to Oliver Kahn in 2021.