Champions League glory Ribery's priority

Ribery was a star man in Bayern's 2012-13 treble-winning side, but, although the Bavarian giant retained the Bundesliga crown in each of the subsequent three seasons under Pep Guardiola, further continental glory proved elusive.

Published : Sep 09, 2016 16:35 IST , Munich

Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery celebrating at the end of last season.
Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery celebrating at the end of last season.
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Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery celebrating at the end of last season.

Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery would prefer to win the Champions League this season given the choice of hoisting Europe's premier trophy or claiming a fifth consecutive Bundesliga title.

Ribery was a star man in Bayern's 2012-13 treble-winning side, but, although the Bavarian giant retained the Bundesliga crown in each of the subsequent three seasons under Pep Guardiola, further continental glory proved elusive.

Now under Carlo Ancelotti – along with ex- Liverpool boss Bob Paisley the only coach to win the competition three times – Ribery and his team-mates are ready for a fresh assault on a tournament he holds dear.

"We want to win everything," he told Goal. "If I had to decide between Bundesliga and Champions League I would choose the Champions League, because it's a bit more special, even if the Bundesliga is a great thing. I hope we will win all the titles this season."

Bayern fell at the semi-final stage for the third straight season last term, with Atletico Madrid its conqueror. The two sides have been paired together in Group D this time around, although Ribery played down the notion of having a score to settle.

"It's not revenge," he explained. "We made a good job at home [in the semi-finals last year] but we had no luck. Our group is not easy, but we have to win every game, that's important."

Ribery has retired from international duty with France, while Atletico forward and Euro 2016 Golden Boot winner Antoine Griezmann now serves as the attacking inspiration for Les Bleus. Nevertheless, the 33-year-old will not be drawn in by an increasingly irresistible comparison.

"I'm not in competition with Atletico or Griezmann," Ribery added. "I know what I have achieved in my career, I won everything. We have to play and to win."

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