Football
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Franck Ribery: Didier Deschamps has accepted my retirement decision

Franck Ribery has insisted he will not make a U-turn on his decision to retire from international football and says he has the blessing of France coach Didier Deschamps.

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Ribery, 31, called it a day with Les Bleus this summer -- only two years before Euro 2016 in France -- in order to focus on his club career.

The Bayern Munich winger's decision surprised UEFA president Michel Platini, who warned his compatriot that should he reject a summons to international duty, he could face a ban for future club games.

"That's written in the FIFA statues. If he doesn't report for duty, then he would be banned for three matches for Bayern Munich," Platini said.

The UEFA chief also stated that it is not Ribery but France boss Deschamps who has the final decision.

Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has since said everything has been settled with Deschamps, and so no ban is imminent.

And in an interview with Die Welt on Thursday, Ribery also maintained that Deschamps will not look to call him up for international duty again.

"I've already said that I will retire. And that's also agreed with the France coach Didier Deschamps," he said. "In the future, I want to fully focus on FC Bayern. I don't know how I can say any more about it. My stance does not change. And I'm not concerned with all the politics around this issue."

Meanwhile, Ribery could return to the Bayern team for the first time since the DFB-Pokal final in May when Stuttgart visit the Allianz Arena on Saturday.

The winger missed the World Cup with a back problem, before suffering a knee injury upon returning to training with the German champions.

"The injury was a real shame, because until then I had a good preseason," Ribery said. "The last weeks I have worked very hard with our fitness coach and it has brought about an effect. Moreover, it has done me good that I was not travelling with the national team. I had more time and energy to regain my fitness.

"I am ready to start. I feel that I'm at 100 percent and no longer have any pain. That's important for my head. I now need to get back into the rhythm. Naturally the coach [Pep Guardiola] decides whether I'll start. We'll see about that."

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