Ribery crowned Bundesliga Player of the Year 2013
Munich - FC Bayern München winger Franck Ribery has been named the 2013 Bundesliga Player of the Year.
Franck the Tank
Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski finished as runner-up to the French phenomenon following a vote consisting of the captains from all 36 Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 clubs.
30-year-old Ribery, who proved to be the driving force as the record titleholders were crowned Bundesliga champions for a 22nd time, was named UEFA Best Player in Europe earlier this year and is hoping to complete a trio of prestigious individual awards when the FIFA Ballon d'Or recipient is announced on 13 January 2014.
Going up against Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi is a tough order, but as FC Bayern legend Franz Beckenbauer put it back in August: "Franck was not only the best player in the best team, he won everything there was to win with the best team".
18 goals and 20 assists in 2013
Indeed, the French international has been in the form of his life this past year, racking up 18 goals and 20 assists in 44 appearances in all competitions, lifting UEFA Champions League, Bundesliga, DFB Cup and UEFA Super Cup trophies along the way. He can still add to that haul with the FIFA Club World Cup, the final of which Bayern will contest against Raja Casablanca on Saturday.
