Retirement of Franck Ribéry: from the brilliant kid to the controversies, a double-sided career

“Come on, my little one! He’s awesome kid! This evening of June 27, 2006 in the sky of Hanover, the words of Thierry Gilardi mark the beginning of the career of this kid of 23 years who takes his first lightning steps in the court of the very big. Franck Ribéry, his jersey at number 7 tucked into too loose shorts and his recognizable gash on the right cheek, has just erased Iker Casillas to allow the Blues to pick up the score against Spain, in the 1/8th finals of the World Cup in Germany. A month before, all stacks, he celebrated his first cape in the France team to the cheers of a tricolor public won over to his new prodigy.