He seems to operate in a state of perpetual buoyancy, with a ready smile and a quip always to hand.
When they bought Franck Ribery in the summer of 2007, Bayern München acquired not only a world-class midfielder, but also someone capable of dealing even with highly stressful situations with equanimity.
Tuesday's Champions League home game against Olympique Lyon is special to him for two reasons. He's up against his fellow countrymen for one thing - and it also marks his debut in Europe's top club competition.
“It's something special alright to play against a club from back home”, Ribery says, revealing that Lyon is his “favourite French team”. Not that he has had much luck playing them: a cup final victory with Marseille is the only time he has finished on the winning side against Lyon to date.
“Hopefully that's all about to change”, Ribery told bundesliga.de. He is now part of a team that is meeting France's top side at a quite different level, he points out - in the Champions League, the melting pot for the cream of Europe.
No fear of the competition
The 25-year-old midfielder is clearly not in awe of the strong competition however, and says, “I really want to win the tournament. The team, the coach and the club as a whole have high expectations.” After opening with a win in Bucharest, Lyon are the next obstacle along that road.
The club have won the French title every year since 2001. Ribery knows their strengths well: “They have good players up front, a very strong defence - and a good midfield as well! We're up against a team of high ambition.”
“I'd love to show what I can do”
Bayern coach Jürgen Klinsmann is keeping mum as to whether he will play Ribery from the start. The midfielder obviously hopes so: “I'd love to be playing, to show what I can do and bring pleasure to the fans.”
One thing he does know for sure is that Lyon have the kind of strikers who can make life very awkward for Bayern - his friend Karim Benzema for one: “We'll have to keep an eye on him, but on the likes of Sidney Govou as well.”
He recently spoke with Benzema on the phone. Was there a message for his French international teammate? “I told him he'd be going home with zero points”, Ribery says - with a smile, of course…
Fatih Demireli / translation Angus Davison
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