Created on 06-08-2013 at 00:00 AM
Franck Ribéry has come a step closer to a prestigious and important individual accolade, as the Bayern winger has made the shortlist of three for the 2012/13 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award along with Lionel Messi of Barcelona and Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, the European governing body announced on Tuesday. “I'm proud and so happy, for me, for the whole team and the whole club," Ribéry told FCB.tv.
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge expressed pleasure at the news. “The whole club shares Franck Ribéry's delight," said the FCB chairman, “he's absolutely deserved this. Now we obviously hope he wins the vote." Ribéry himself feels there must be a realistic chance: “Last season was perfect," he said, “we won everything, so why not this award? But I'm already happy in any case."