Former Bayern Munich and France star Franck Ribery was in tears as he called an end to his trophy-laden playing career on Saturday.<br /><br />The Frenchman came out onto the pitch after Salernitana's 1-0 win over Spezia in Serie A where he was met by a chorus of applause and chants from the home fans.<br /><br />And it's clear emotions got the better of him when the 39-year-old - who's struggled with fitness issues in the last year - gave a lap of honour at the Arechi Stadium.<br /><br />Ribery stepped out the pitch to wave goodbye to fans, who had brought signs and posters in his honour, before being overcome by emotion.<br /><br />He made 25 appearances for the Italian side, helping them to remain in Italy's top-flight after promotion from Serie B, before deciding to retire. <br /><br />The 39-year-old called time on his career after confirming the news with a statement on Twitter on Friday.<br /><br />'The ball stops. The feelings inside me do not,' he wrote. 'Thanks to everyone for this great adventure.'<br /><br />Ribery is best known for his time in Germany where he won the Bundesliga on nine occasions during his time at Bayern.<br /><br />He also won the Champions League with the German giants in 2013 when they beat domestic rivals Borussia Dortmund in the final.<br /><br />Overall, he made 425 appearances for the Bavarian side, scoring 124 goals between 2007 and 2019. <br /><br />When he was released by the club in 2019, he moved to Fiorentina and then joined Salernitana but was only able to start 17 league games in 2021-22 due to fitness issues.<br /><br />Ribery also earned 81 caps for France and played for his country at four major tournaments.<br /><br />He was part of the squad that made the final of the 2006 World Cup, when France were beaten on penalties by Italy. <br /><br />His highest individual accolade saw him finish third in the Ballon d'Or vote in 2013 behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
