Salihamidzic on Ribery controversy: "He used words that we, FC Bayern, cannot accept and that Franck does not have the right to use, as a role-model and player of FC Bayern."
Sunday 6 January 2019 15:12, UK
Bayern Munich say they will impose a "heavy fine" on Franck Ribery over an obscenity-laced outburst on social media, after the Frenchman became embroiled in controversy for eating a gold-coated steak.
The punishment comes after Ribery lashed out at critics in a string of angry posts on Twitter and Instagram on Saturday.
"I had a long talk with Franck and I let him know that we would impose a heavy fine on him and he accepted it," Bayern's sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic said.
"He used words that we, FC Bayern, cannot accept and that Franck does not have the right to use, as a role-model and player of FC Bayern."
On Thursday, Ribery posted a video on social media showing him in a Dubai steak house owned by celebrity Turkish restaurateur Salt Bae and rubbing his hands before tucking into a huge chop coated in gold.
That ostentatious luxury, and the reported cost of the meal, drew ferocious criticism before Ribery hit back on social media.
Salihamidzic made clear that Ribery did not pay the bill himself because he had been invited to the restaurant.
"Franck has been slandered and insulted," said Salihamidzic.
"And not only Franck, but his pregnant wife, his child and his mother, who is currently in hospital for an operation. Franck wanted to defend himself and defend his family.
"He has the right to do that. I support him in that, but unfortunately he totally lost control."
Ribery's outburst comes less than two months after the forward insulted and attacked French TV pundit Patrick Guillou who had criticised his performance following Bayern's 3-2 loss against Dortmund.
Bayern later made Ribery post a video apology on the club website.
Despite being known as one of France's best players, Ribery is little loved at home, partly because of his perceived key role in the French team's infamous training ground strike during their disastrous 2010 World Cup campaign in South Africa.
It's a different story in Germany, where Ribery is known as "King Franck" to grateful Bayern supporters.
Since joining the Bavarian giants in 2007, Ribery has helped the team win the Champions League in 2013 as well as eight Bundesliga titles and five German Cups.
