Ribery says 'adieu' to France

Ribery - having accrued 81 caps since his debut in 2006 - said the time was right for his exit from international football, adding that France appeared to have a solid future without him.

"I am quitting," the 31-year-old told German football magazine Kicker. "I have decided for myself that this moment has come. You must know when it is time to quit."

Ribery missed the World Cup in Brazil this year after he picked up a back injury during pre-tournament training. The team reached the quarterfinals without him, narrowly losing 1-0 to eventual winners Germany.

"It is time now that others move ahead and you could see at the World Cup that you don't have to be concerned about the future of France," the winger conceded to Kicker.

Ribery - third in the voting for the 2013 world player of the year, and UEFA's 2012/13 European Player of the Season - also gave his own personal reasons for quitting the national side.

"I want to spend more time with my family, fully concentrate on my job at Bayern, and give up my place for the many great young players in the national team. There were highs and lows, but now the time has come for a new chapter in my life," he said.

A rough diamond

Ribery - whose face still bears the scars of injuries sustained in a car crash as a child - was once described by former French talisman Zinedine Zidane as "the jewel of French football."

He indeed shone internationally at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, with France reaching the final - only to be beaten by Italy.

The team was less successful four years later in South Africa. Ribery was one of those players handed an international penalty for boycotting a training session in a revolt against then-trainer Raymond Domenech.

Known as a prankster, the former Marseille, Metz and Galatasaray player has also been involved in controversy. He and French teammate Karim Benzema both faced charges of having sex with an underage prostitute, but were cleared this January after a four-year inquiry.

rc/glb (AP, dpa, Reuters)