Franck Ribery retires from international football

Franck Ribery has retired from international football at the age of 31.
The France midfielder missed out on this summer’s World Cup after suffering a lower back injury in training shortly before the tournament got under way.
In his absence Les Bleus reached the quarter-finals where they lost 1-0 to eventual winners Germany.
Ribery’s decision gives him added time to concentrate on his club football with Bayern Munich.
“I quit,” Ribery said in an interview with German sports magazine Kicker. “I have found for myself that this moment has come.”
“I want to focus on my family and concentrate on my work at Bayern Munich and make way in the national team for the many young and exciting players.”
“One has to know when to stop,” he added. “I have experienced so much and now is the time for others to come forward. You could see at the World Cup that we should have no concerns about France’s future.
“There were highs and lows but now is the time to start a new chapter in my life.”
The diminutive talisman scored 16 goals in 81 appearances for his country since his debut in 2006 against Mexico.
Despite missing the World Cup, he played a key role in qualification for Didier Deschamps side, scoring five goals.
Ribery is a three-time French player of the year and came third in the running for the 2013 Ballon D’Or award behind eventual winner Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
 Credit: Daily Mail