After several difficult years hampered by injuries, his performances stunned the football world, but even he could not take down Inter in the final.
In that match, Bayern were missing an alternative in attack, someone who could complement the Dutchman’s skill set. They were missing suspended winger Franck Ribery.
The absence of Ribery’s name in the Bayern line-up has been a common one since Euro 2008. Repeated injuries have kept the former Marseille man sidelined for long spells; each time he has appeared on the brink of finding his best form, another crippling injury has set him back to square one.
His minimal playing time and less explosive performances in recent years have led many to criticise him as “past it,” a shadow of what he once was.
But now, Ribery is the fittest he’s looked in years. He has managed to play the full 90 minutes in seven consecutive games, and has only gotten better and better with time.
Robben was man of the match in last weekend’s 6-0 win against Hamburg, but Ribery had three assists and a goal in which he, for perhaps the first time in three years, blew past a defender before finishing with a delicate chip.
The Frenchman ended the match on a high note, tiptoeing his way between a defender and the byline before having his cross redirected into the goal.
The Hamburg match was a clear sign that Ribery’s physical health and confidence are back, and that he remains an integral part of his Bayern team.
The advantage of having both Ribery and Robben in the same line-up is that the two offer very different interpretations of wing play, and in doing so, greatly increase the options Bayern have for breaking down opposing defences.
Robben is the more direct player: he takes on defenders with his pace, and can score from up to 35 yards with his left foot. Ribery is less direct, but can be equally effective, and when fit, he’s good for an assist or more per game. He no longer has the explosive burst of pace over the first five yards, but his technique remains impeccable, his playmaking vision is world class, and his top speed is quite formidable.
With all due respect to Hamit Altintop, Ribery’s class as an alternative to Robben was sorely missed in the 2010 final. He might have made the difference then, and could be the decider tonight.
Last year was Robben’s time to break out of a seemingly endless recursion of injuries and finally realise the potential he showed in his early years at PSV and Chelsea. Now that he’s fit and in form, it’s Ribery’s turn to break out and prove to the world that he still has plenty left to offer. Perhaps against Inter, he will no longer have to settle for the role of “sidekick.”
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2010 Was Arjen Robben’s Champions League, 2011 Is Franck Ribery’s Time To Shine For Bayern Munich