Widespread praise for FC Bayern heroes
Zurich - The mood in the FC Bayern München camp was largely upbeat after a memorable night at the Kongresshaus in Zurich, where Franck Ribery came third in the FIFA Ballon d'Or vote as well as being joined by two of his Bayern team-mates in the FIFA FIFPro World XI. The Munich club's treble-winning coach in 2012/13, Jupp Heynckes, meanwhile, picked up the World Coach of the Year award.
bundesliga.com rounds up some of the reactions...
Thomas Müller (FC Bayern attacker): "It's a shame Franck didn't win, but having three players in the World XI and your ex-boss winning the Coach of Year award is a great achievement!"
Bastian Schweinsteiger (vice-captain FC Bayern): "Unlucky, Franck! But this wasn't your last chance, I'm sure we can help you win [the Ballon d'Or] in the coming years."
Manuel Neuer (FC Bayern goalkeeper): “As a young player you dream of becoming a professional. You progress in small steps and maybe make it into the national team at some point. You have fewer personal targets after that, which is why it’s such a great honour for me to be voted into the World XI and to be mentioned in the same breath as other great goalkeepers."
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (chairman FC Bayern): "We’re really proud of Franck Ribery. He won every major competition he took part in at home, in Europe and on the world stage in 2013. After being voted best player in Europe, this third place again recognises his magnificent individual performances and the trophies he won with FC Bayern."
Philipp Lahm and Manuel Neuer more than deserve to join Franck Ribery in the world team of the year. Both made significant contributions to the most successful year in Bayern’s history, and both have left their mark on the club with their fantastic performances and their personalities and magnificent character on and off the pitch.”
Matthias Sammer (FC Bayern director of sport): “It's a democratic vote so we bow to that and send our congratulations. For us though, Franck is the best, he won everything and did everything in his power to do so. But others have made their choice. He has a few good years ahead of him yet and could still win it.“
Jupp Heynckes (former FC Bayern coach): "I'm tremendously thankful to be here to pick up this award today. It means a lot to pick up an award right at the end of my career. Normally in team sports it is often difficult to put things together like this. It isn't just down to me this is down to the whole club, Bayern Munich, everyone who worked with me during this period...
...We have been blessed with world class players and they produced amazing performances. The coaching staff have also lent their weight. I want to thank everybody who pulled together to help me produce this winning team."
Wolfgang Niersbach (German Football Association (DFB) president): "This evening offered further evidence of the high regard in which German football is held worldwide."
