Football
Stephan Uersfeld, Germany correspondent 7y

Franck Ribery wants more playing time for Bayern Munich this season

Franck Ribery says he was not "completely happy" with last season and wants more game time at Bayern Munich in the 2017-18 campaign.

Despite making 31 appearances for Bayern in all competitions last season, Ribery completed the full 90 minutes only seven times.

In April, Bayern coach Carlo Ancelotti said he cannot pick the former France international every week, saying that he is "like a Ferrari, and you can't drive a Ferrari every day."

But despite his advancing years, Ribery is determined to stay fit and earn more playing time at Bayern in the upcoming season.

"I am 34 years old, but I can play at the top level when I have my full fitness," Ribery told Sport Bild.

On Ancelotti's Ferrari remarks, he added: "Maybe he's afraid I'll pick up an injury. But with me it's like that: When I know that I have to leave the pitch after 45 or 60 minutes, I am more likely to feel constrained.

"I am not completely happy with my last season. A substitution is hard to accept. I want to be out on the pitch for 90 minutes when I have full fitness."

However, Ribery says that he maintains a good relationship with Ancelotti.

"I was able to openly communicate it," he said. "We talked a lot."

Elsewhere, Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has drawn comparisons between Ancelotti and former coach Jupp Heynckes, who led the Bavarians to an historic Treble in the 2012-13 season.

"Carlo reminds me a bit of Jupp Heynckes in his second year. Jupp finished runners-up thrice in his first year, and naturally it bugged him," Rummenigge told kicker. "He then changed things. And I get the impression with Carlo that he tightened the screw a bit just to have a successful season."

Right-back Rafinha, meanwhile, has hit out at Rummenigge in an interview with Sky Sport Deutschland. The Bayern CEO has said in the past that Ancelotti plans to replace retired Philipp Lahm with Joshua Kimmich.

"Rummenigge can say what he wants," he said. "I believe that everyone has his task here, but the coach is Carlo Ancelotti. He decides who plays and who doesn't.

"I try to do my job. I played with Philipp Lahm for six years and still appeared in over 200 matches for Bayern. I hope that I get more playing time this season. I have the quality for it."

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