This article is about football stadium sponsored by Allianz. For the stadium in Sydney known commercially as Allianz Stadium, see Sydney Football Stadium.

Allianz Arena
Fußball Arena München (during UEFA-organised games)
Former names	FIFA World Cup Stadium Munich (during the 2006 FIFA World Cup)
Location	Munich, Germany
Broke ground	October 21, 2002
Opened	May 30, 2005
Owner	Allianz Arena München Stadion GmbH
Operator	Allianz Arena München Stadion GmbH
Surface	Grass Pitch
Construction cost	€ 340 million
Architect	Herzog & de Meuron ArupSport
Structural engineer	Ove Arup & Partners
Capacity	69,901 (League Matches), 66,000 (International Matches)
Executive Suites	106
Field dimensions	105m x 68m
Website	Official Website
Tenants
FC Bayern Munich TSV 1860 München

The Allianz Arena is a football stadium in the north of Munich, Bavaria, Germany. The two professional Munich football clubs FC Bayern Munich and TSV 1860 München have played their home games at the Allianz Arena since the start of the 2005–06 season. Both clubs had previously played their home games at the Munich Olympic Stadium since 1972, where FC Bayern Munich played all of their games and TSV 1860 München most of their games. The Allianz Arena is the third biggest stadium in Germany behind Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund and the Olympiastadion in Berlin.

The large financial services provider Allianz purchased the rights to name the stadium for 30 years. During the 2006 World Cup it was known as FIFA World Cup Stadium Munich. Near Allianz Arena, Fröttmaning U-Bahn station, on U6 can be seen.

The stadium was the venue for the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final.^[1]

Stadium specifics[link]

Allianz Arena is lit up in red when Bayern Munich plays, in blue when 1860 Munich plays, and in white when in use by the German National Team.

Illumination during the UEFA Champions League final 2011–12.

Allianz Arena at playing level.

Allianz Arena under construction (August 2004).

The stadium is located at the northern edge of Munich's borough of Schwabing on the Fröttmaning Heath. It is the first stadium in the world that has a full changing color outside.

Capacity[link]

Effective with the city's approval of modifications that was granted January 16, 2006, the legal capacity of the stadium has increased from 66,000 to 69,901 spectators (including standing room). The lower tier can seat up to 20,000, the middle tier up to 24,000, and the upper tier up to 22,000. 10,400 of the seats in the lower tier corners can be converted to standing room to allow an additional 3,120 spectators. The total capacity includes 2,000 business seats, 400 seats for the press, 106 luxury boxes with seating for up to 174, and 165 berths for wheelchairs and the like. From the second half of the 2005–06 Bundesliga season, the arena is able to accommodate 69,901 spectators at league and German Cup games, but because of UEFA regulations, the capacity remains at 66,000 seats for UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup games. Bayern Munich has limited capacity during their league and cup games to 69,000. The partial roof covers all seats, although winds can still blow rain onto some of them.

Allianz Arena also offers three day-care centers and two fan shops, the FC Bayern Munich Megastore and the TSV 1860 München Allianz Arena Megastore. Merchandise is offered at stands all along the inside of the exterior wall inside the area behind the seats. Numerous restaurants and fast-food establishments are also located around the stadium.

There are four team locker rooms (one each for the two home teams and their respective opponents), four coaches' locker rooms, and two locker rooms for referees. Two areas are provided where athletes can warm up (approx. 110 m² each). There are also 550 toilets and 190 monitors in the arena.

Allianz Arena

Allianz Arena

Construction[link]

• Total concrete used during stadium construction: 120,000 m³
• Total concrete used for the parking garage: 85,000 m³
• Total steel used during stadium construction: 22,000 tonnes
• Total steel used for the parking garage: 14,000 tonnes

The arena facade is constructed of 2,874 ETFE-foil air panels that are kept inflated with dry air to a differential pressure of 0.038 hPa. The panels appear white from far away but when examined closely, there are little dots on the panels. When viewed from far away, the eye combines the dots and sees white. When viewed close up however, it is possible to see through the foil. The foil has a thickness of 0.2 mm. Each panel can be independently lit with white, red, or blue light. The intention is to light the panels at each game with the colors of the respective home team, or white if the home team is the German national football team or on a neutral venue like the 2012 Final of UEFA Champions League. Other colours and / or multicolor and / or interchanging lighting schemes are possible indeed, but Munich Police strongly insists on uni-color only due to several car accidents on the nearby autobahn A9 with drivers being distracted by the changing lights. (In the US, a similar scheme is used for MetLife Stadium, which lights up in blue for the Giants, green for the Jets, and red for a concert.)

With electricity costs for the light of about 50 Euros (75 USD) per hour only, the construction evolves such luminosity that in clear nights the stadium can easily be spotted even from Austrian mountain tops, e.g. from a distance of 50 miles (80 km). Roller blinds installed under the roof may be drawn during games to provide protection from the sun.

Allianz Arena with the Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche, the oldest church of Munich.

Transport[link]

Patrons may park their cars in Europe's largest parking structure, comprising four four-story parking garages with 9,800 parking places. In addition, 1,200 places were built into the first two tiers of the arena, 350 places are available for buses (240 at the north end, and 110 at the south entrance), and 130 more spots are reserved for those with disabilities.

The stadium is located next to the Fröttmaning U-Bahn station. This is on the U6 line of the Munich U-Bahn.

Surroundings[link]

From the subway station just south of the arena, visitors approach the stadium through a park that was designed to disentangle and guide them to the entrance. An esplanade rises gradually from ground level at the subway station entrance, practically building the parking garage's cover, to the entrance level of the stadium. On the other side of the Autobahn, the Fröttmaning Hill with its windmill affords a marvellous view on the stadium. Also the Romanesque Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche, the oldest structure on the area of the City of Munich designed to serve religious purposes, is located there together with its copy, an artwork in concrete as a reminder for the village of Fröttmaning which disappeared with the construction of the Autobahn.

A view from the south.

Owners[link]

The arena was commissioned by the Allianz Arena München Stadion GmbH, founded in 2001, and was owned in equal parts by the two football clubs that call it home. The GmbH's CEO was Karl-Heinz Wildmoser, Jr. until the unraveling of the stadium corruption affair (see below). Since then, Bernd Rauch, Peter Kerspe, and Walter Leidecker have led the company. In April 2006, FC Bayern Munich bought out TSV 1860 München's 50% share in the arena for a reported 11 million Euros. 1860's managing director Stefan Ziffzer stated that the deal prevented insolvency for the club. The terms of the agreement gave 1860 the right to buy back their 50% share of the arena for the price of sale plus interest anytime before June 2010. In November 2007, TSV 1860 München resigned that right. In advance, the income of two friendly-games both clubs shared equally instead of having that money going to Allianz Arena GmbH. Due to financial turbulences of TSV 1860 München, FC Bayern Munich took over all the shares and now owns 100% of the Allianz Arena.

Name[link]

Allianz paid significant sums for the right to lend its name to the stadium for a duration of 30 years. However, as Allianz wasn't a sponsor of the 2006 World Cup and is not an official UEFA sponsor, the Alllianz logo had to be removed during the World Cup and is covered during Champions League games.

Cost[link]

The cost of the construction itself ran to €286 million but financing costs raised that figure to a total of €340 million. In addition, the city and State incurred approximately €210 million for area development and infrastructure improvements.

Reactions[link]

Aerial photo of Allianz Arena with surrounding area shortly before construction was complete (January 2005).

On November 14, 2005 at the annual general meeting, many FC Bayern Munich club members complained about the uncomfortable draft inside the arena. As a result, closable doors were installed and spectators now enjoy watching the games in greater comfort.

The Ultras and many other fans protested at several home games against the seats and some of the rules of the arena which they perceive as "fan unfriendly". For example, a spectator may not enter with a megaphone or a pennant that a single person cannot carry unfurled, and pennant poles with a length of over one metre are prohibited. The complaint is that these rules and the designer seats put a damper on the fan experience. The presence of a large fence and safety nets in front of the southern curve (seat bloc reserved for fans of the FC Bayern Munich) are also often criticized.

These complaints have had some success. From the 2006–07, season blocks 112 and 113 have been converted into terracing, in the usual German style so that seats can be installed for UEFA and international matches, whose regulations demand seating for all spectators.

In reaction to the heavy commercialisation that followed the rejection of the Ultra movement in the media, and some other actions of the FC Bayern Munich football club, the stadium has sometimes been dubbed Arroganz Arena ("Arrogance Arena").

History[link]

Seating area of the Allianz Arena.

On October 21, 2002 voters went to the polls to determine whether a new stadium should be built in this location and whether the city of Munich should provide the necessary infrastructure. About two thirds of the voters decided in favor of the proposition. An alternative to constructing the new arena had been a major reconstruction of the Olympic Stadium but this option had been refused by its architect Günther Behnisch.

The Swiss architect firm of Herzog & de Meuron then developed the concept of the stadium with a see-through exterior made of ETFE-foil panels, that can be lit from the inside and are self-cleaning. Construction started in the autumn of 2002 and was completed by the end of April 2005.

The Fröttmaning and Marienplatz stations of the subway line U6 were expanded and improved in conjunction with the arena construction. The Fröttmaning subway station was expanded from two to four tracks, while the Marienplatz U-Bahn station was outfitted with additional pedestrian connector tunnels running parallel to the subway tracks, which lead towards the S-Bahn portion of the station, lessening congestion among passengers making connections to the Munich S-Bahn. To be able to handle the additional traffic load, the Autobahn A9 was expanded to three and four lanes going each way and another exit was added to the A99 north of the arena.

On 19 May 2012, the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League final was held at the Allianz Arena. Bayern Munich, who was drawn as home team, was set to play against Chelsea. Chelsea won on penalties after the game had tied 1–1 after regulation and extra time. Bastian Schweinsteiger's penalty hit Petr Cech's left post, and Didier Drogba swept home the winning penalty.

Stadium corruption affair[link]

Since March 2004, a corruption affair relating to the stadium has occupied the football world and German courts. On March 9, Karl-Heinz Wildmoser, Sr., president of the TSV 1860 München, his son Karl-Heinz Wildmoser, Jr., chief executive officer of Allianz Arena München Stadion GmbH, and two others were charged with corruption in connection with the award of arena construction contracts and taken into custody. On March 12, 2004, Wildmoser, Sr. struck a plea bargain and was released. As part of the plea bargain, he relinquished the presidency of the club three days later, and on May 18, the investigation into his conduct was closed.

His son, Karl-Heinz Wildmoser, Jr., remained in custody. At a bail hearing on June 29, the judge refused bail on the grounds of danger of flight and obstruction of justice. The District Attorney filed charges on August 23, 2004, accusing him of fraud, corruption and tax evasion. The case was that Wildmoser, Jr. had awarded the construction contract at an inflated price, provided the Austrian builder Alpine with inside information that enabled the builder to win the contract, and in return received €2.8 million.

On May 13, 2005, Karl-Heinz Wildmoser, Jr. was convicted and sentenced by a Munich court to four and a half years in prison. He was released on bail pending his appeal. The Federal Court of Justice rejected the appeal in August 2006.

Opening day[link]

Test illumination in March 2005

On May 30, 2005, TSV 1860 München played an exhibition game against 1. FC Nuremberg. The next day the record German champions Bayern Munich played a game against the German national team. Both games had been sold out since early March 2005. Patrick Milchraum of TSV 1860 scored the first official goal at the stadium.

On June 2, in response to high demand, the first "arena derby" took place between the two owners. That game was won by TSV 1860 with the help of a goal by Paul Agostino.

Prior to opening day the alumni teams of both clubs played each other in an exhibition game in front of a crowd of 30,000 where all stadium functions were thoroughly tested.

The stadium's first goal in a competitive game went to Owen Hargreaves of FC Bayern when the home team won 3–0 in its 2005–06 Fußball-Bundesliga season opener against Borussia Mönchengladbach on August 5, 2005. The first goal in an official game by a visiting team was scored by Dynamo Dresden on September 9, 2005 in the Second Bundesliga match against TSV 1860 München. That game ended in a score of 1–2 in front of a full house which included approximately 20,000 - 22,000 fans who had traveled to Munich from Dresden for the game. Dresden thus became the first visiting team to win a competitive game at Allianz Arena.

Allianz Arena

The first goal against FC Bayern Munich in a league game at Allianz Arena was scored by Miroslav Klose of SV Werder Bremen on November 5, 2005 in the first minute of play. This was to remain the visitors' only goal that day as the game went to the FC Bayern with a final score of 3–1.

FC Bayern broke its consecutive sell-out record by selling out each of its first ten home games at Allianz Arena.

2006 FIFA World Cup[link]

Inside Allianz Arena during a match between FC Bayern Munich and TSV 1860 München, 10 June 2005.

The stadium was one of the venues for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. However, due to sponsorship contracts, the arena was called FIFA World Cup Stadium Munich during the World Cup.

The following games were played at the stadium during the World Cup of 2006:

Date	Time (CEST)	Team #1	Res.	Team #2	Round	Spectators
9 June 2006	18.00	Germany	4–2	Costa Rica	Group A (opening match)	69,451
14 June 2006	18.00	Tunisia	2–2	Saudi Arabia	Group H	69,451
18 June 2006	18.00	Brazil	2–0	Australia	Group F	69,451
21 June 2006	21.00	Côte d'Ivoire	3–2	Serbia and Montenegro	Group C	69,451
24 June 2006	17.00	Germany	2–0	Sweden	Round of 16	69,451
5 July 2006	21.00	Portugal	0–1	France	Semifinals	69,451

See also[link]

• List of stadiums

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Allianz Arena

• Official website of Allianz Arena Facts and Figures Section provides details like the amount of concrete used, composition of the facade, facade lighting etc.

• Allianz Arena at Structurae
• Seat Plan of the Allianz Arena
• Allianz Arena - video

Coordinates: 48°13′7.59″N 11°37′29.11″E / 48.218775°N 11.6247528°E / 48.218775; 11.6247528

 Allianz (help·info) SE^[2] (formerly Allianz AG) is a German multinational financial services company headquartered in Munich, Germany. Its core business and focus is insurance. As of 2010, it was the world's 12th-largest financial services group and 23rd-largest company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine.^[3]

Its Allianz Global Investors division ranks as a top-five global active investment manager, having €1,443 billion of assets under management (AuM), of which €1,131 billion are third-party assets (as of 2010-09-30), with specialized asset managers such as PIMCO (Bond fund), RCM (Equity fund), Degi (Real estate fund), etc.

Allianz sold Dresdner Bank to Commerzbank in November 2008.^[4] As a result of this merger, Allianz gained a 14% controlling stake in the new Commerzbank Group.

History[link]

Allianz AG was founded in Berlin on 5 February 1890 by Carl von Thieme (a native of Erfurt, whose father was the director of Thuringia) and Wilhelm von Finck (co-owner of the Merck Finck & Co bank).

20th century[link]

The original Allianz logo, designed in 1923 by Karl Schulpig.

Allianz shifted its headquarters to Munich in 1949. The first step to become an international company started with the opening of a branch office in London in the late 19th century. After World War II, global business activities were gradually resumed. Allianz opened an office in Paris in the late 1950s, and a management office for Italy in the 1960s. These expansions were followed in the 1970s by the establishment of business in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Spain, Brazil and the United States. In 1986, Allianz acquired Cornhill Insurance PLC, London, and the purchase of a stake in Riunione Adriatica di Sicurità (RAS), Milan, strengthened its presence in Western and Southern Europe in the 1980s. Recently, on February 8, 2006, RAS Shareholders approved the mergers with Allianz.

In 1990, Allianz started an expansion into eight Eastern European countries with establishing a presence in Hungary. In the same decade, Allianz also acquired Fireman’s Fund, an insurer in the United States, which was followed by the purchase of Assurances Generales de France (AGF), Paris. These acquisitions were followed by the expansion into Asia with several joint ventures and acquisitions in China and South Korea and the acquisition of Australia's Manufacturers Mutual Insurance. Around this time Allianz expanded its asset management business as well by purchasing for example asset management companies in California.

21st century[link]

The Allianz building in Alt-Treptow, Berlin, Germany

In April 2001, Allianz agreed to acquire the 80 per cent of Dresdner Bank that it did not already own for US$20 billion.^[5] As part of the transaction, Allianz agreed to sell its 13.5 per cent stake in HypoVereinsbank to Munich Re, and to acquire Munich Re's 40 per cent stake in Allianz Leben.^[5] Following completion of the acquisition, Allianz and Dresdner Bank combined their asset management activities by forming Allianz Global Investors. In 2002, Michael Diekmann succeeded Henning Schulte-Noelle as CEO of Allianz AG. In June 2006, Allianz announced the layoff of 7,280 employees, about 4 percent of its worldwide work force at the time, as part of a restructuring program aimed at raising profitability.^[6] The reductions comprised 5,000 staff at Allianz insurance operations and 2,480 at Dresdner Bank.^[6] In the same month, Allianz announced that its Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein investment banking operation would be renamed as simply Dresdner Kleinwort.^[6]

In September 2005, Allianz announced that it would convert its holding company into a European Company (Societas Europaea), becoming one of the the first major companies to do so.^[7] The conversion was made in conjunction with Allianz's acquisition of 100 per cent control of its principal Italian subsidiary Riunione Adriatica di Sicurtà (RAS) for around US$7 billion.^[7] The conversion to an SE was completed on 13 October 2006.^[7] The Allianz Group also simplified its brand strategy from 2006 and their previous emblem was replaced by the current word-picture brand.^[8]

On 31 August 2008, it was announced that Allianz had agreed to sell 60.2 per cent of Dresdner Bank to Commerzbank for €9.8 billion (US$14.4 billion), with an agreement that Commerzbank would acquire the remainder of Dresdner Bank by the end of 2009.^[9] After renegotiations, it was announced in November 2008 that Commerzbank would acquire the 100% ownership of Dresdner Bank earlier (12 January 2009). The sale price was lowered to 5.5 billion Euro. Shortly after that transaction completed, Commerzbank had to be partially nationalized by the German government to prevent it from bankruptcy. Allianz is currently keeping around 14% of Commerzbank shares. The venture into the German banking space is said^{[by whom?]} to have cost the insurance company about 30–35 billion Euro.

Operations[link]

Allianz is now present in more than 70 countries with over 180,000 employees. At the top of the international group is the holding company, Allianz SE, with its head office in Munich. Allianz Group provides its more than 60 million customers worldwide with a comprehensive range of services in the areas of
• property and casualty insurance,
• life and health insurance,
• asset management and banking.

Countries in which Allianz currently has operations.

Australia[link]

Allianz Australia Limited (ABN 21 000 006 226) operates throughout Australia and New Zealand and through its subsidiaries offers a range of insurance and risk management products and services. Subsidiaries of Allianz Australia include Club Marine, Allianz Life and Hunter Premium Funding.

Belgium[link]

Allianz operates through Allianz Belgium, previously AGF Belgium which has been re-branded to Allianz Belgium on 29 November 2007.

Bulgaria[link]

Allianz Bank Bulgaria^[10] is a universal commercial bank having its headquarters in Sofia. It was established in 1997. On October 13, 2003 the bank received the name of its principal shareholder – Allianz Bulgaria Holding. Before that the bank was named ‘Bulgaria Invest’ Commercial Bank. Allianz Bank Bulgaria offers its products in more than hundred branches and offices all over the country, as well as through the broad agents’ network of Allianz Bulgaria Holding.

The bank possesses a full banking license for carrying out banking and financial transactions.

Shareholders The principal shareholders of Allianz Bank Bulgaria are:

-Allianz Bulgaria Holding

-Allianz Bulgaria Ins. Company

-Energy Insurance Company

Canada[link]

Allianz put a sudden halt to its Canadian P&C operation Allianz Canada (market share 2%) in 2004 after several years of unfavorable business results. Allianz originally entered the Canadian market in the early 1990s through an acquisition of several North American insurers, namely the American Firemans Fund and the Canadian Surety. Upon the market exit the personal and commercial lines unit was sold off to the market leader ING Canada (Now Intact), whereas its industrial underwriting branch was bought by Allianz US, which has retained the Toronto office.

Germany[link]

Allianz offers a wide range of general, life and health insurance products in Germany through its Allianz Deutschland AG subsidiary.^[1] It is the market leader in both the general and life insurance markets.^[1]

Allianz products are distributed princiaplly through a network of full-time tied agents.^[1] Since September 2010 Allianz products have also been sold through Commerzbank branches.^[1]

India[link]

In India Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Limited is a joint venture between Bajaj Finserv Limited (recently demerged from Bajaj Auto Limited) and Allianz SE.

Bajaj allianz is one of the fastest growing private life insurance company in India.This has more than 1200 branches across country and deals in primarily unitlinked,traditional,health,child and pension policies.

Also, Allianz Cornhill Information Services (ACIS) is a captive offshore facility of Allianz Insurance plc, operating from the Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram(Trivandrum), offering both IT and ITES services. ACIS is a CMMI Level 5 company providing world-class Application Development and Maintenance services to Allianz Insurance in the UK and some other Allianz companies. ACIS is also a pioneer of the ITeS industry in Kerala and is ISO 9001-2000 certified for its Business Process Operations.

Slovakia[link]

Allianz - Slovenská poisťovňa headquarters, Bratislava

Allianz started its life and Property & Casualty (P&C) operation in Slovakia in 1993 but the local subsidiary was never able to achieve a relevant market share. In 2001 Allianz AG bought the majority ownership in then state-owned Slovenská poisťovňa (SP, Slovak Insurance Company), at the time suffering from political mismanagement, asset-stripping and deep under-reserving. SP however held a market share of well over 50%, which had made it an attractive privatization target, where Allianz had to compete with such insurers as AXA or Aegon. Upon the purchase the local Allianz operation was merged with SP creating a new company Allianz - Slovenská poisťovňa. Its combined market share (life and P&C) presently stands at just below 40% (about 50% in P&C business), still making it by far the market leader.

United Kingdom[link]

Allianz owns British insurance company Cornhill Insurance plc, subsequently renamed Allianz Cornhill Insurance plc. This then simply became Allianz Insurance plc on 30 April 2007 to directly reflect its continental parentage. It also owns the High Net Worth insurance broker Home and Legacy. Their IT captive unit in India Allianz Cornhill Information Services plc is located at Technopark, Trivandrum in Kerala.

Allianz previously owned Kleinwort Benson, which it inherited when it acquired Dresdner Bank. The investment bank has subsequently been merged with the corporate bank of Dresdner Bank and rebranded as Dresdner Kleinwort.

United States[link]

Allianz has a growing prevalence within the United States, notably Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America and Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty and Fireman's Fund. Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America employs close to 2000 employees. Allianz also owns Pacific Investment Management Company, commonly called PIMCO.

Recent management[link]

CEOs to date:

• 2003 — Present : Michael Diekmann
• 1991 — 2003: Henning Schulte-Noelle

Sponsorships[link]

The Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany.

Allianz provided naming rights for the Allianz Arena, a football stadium in the north of Munich, Germany, which is sponsored by Allianz. The two professional Munich football clubs Bayern Munich and TSV 1860 München have played their home games at Allianz Arena since the start of the 2005–06 season. Both clubs had previously played their home games at the Munich Olympic Stadium; Bayern Munich since 1972 and 1860 München since the 1990s.

Allianz owned the Polish football team Gornik Zabrze till April 2011 when has sold shares in controversial way.

Allianz had been in negotiations with the New York Jets and the Giants to buy naming rights to the New Meadowlands Stadium (now known as MetLife Stadium) in East Rutherford, NJ, but those talks ended due to opposition from Jewish groups and Holocaust survivors.^[11]

Allianz has been involved in Formula One since 2000, firstly as a sponsor of the AT&T WilliamsF1 Team, and since 2011 as a sponsor of the Mercedes GP Petronas team.

In early 2009, Allianz signed an agreement to become the Global Partner of the St. Andrews Links Trust.

In early 2012, Allianz entered an agreement with the Sydney Cricket & Sports Ground Trust which oversaw the Sydney Football Stadium being renamed Allianz Stadium. As part of the deal, some of the seats were replaced to read Alliance as well as the future installation of external dramatic lighting.

Controversies[link]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2009)

The neutrality of this section is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. (April 2009)

In 1993 Henning Schulte-Noelle commissioned a new Archive for Corporate History, becoming the first Allianz CEO to address the company's activities during the Third Reich. The Archive opened in 1996. In 1997 Schulte-Noelle asked Gerald D. Feldman, historian from the University of California-Berkeley, if he would undertake a larger research project on Allianz's past involvement with the Third Reich. Feldman started the research in 1998 with a team of young historians. A few months later, Jewish World War II survivors and their descendants took Allianz and other European insurance companies to court, accusing them of unpaid insurance policies. Allianz and four other insurers supported the creation of the "International Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance Claims" (ICHEIC). Furthermore, Allianz became a founding member of the German Foundation "Remembrance, Responsibility and Future". Both organizations took care of payments for the victims. Feldman published the comprehensive results of his research in September 2001. Based on these results Allianz established an exhibition in the Archive for Corporate History and on the Internet.

The research concluded that Allianz, as an organization and through its corporate officers, was forced to comply with the Nazi Regime and the Third Reich, starting as early as the early 1930s and continuing all the way through to the collapse of the Third Reich.

Among the more notable examples:

Allianz managers held senior positions in the administration of national socialist Germany. Kurt Schmitt, director general of Allianz until 1933, was Hitler’s Reich Economics Minister from June 1933 until January 1935. He became a member of both the Nazi Party and the SS in 1933, rising to the rank of Brigadeführer, which is a one-star general in the SS. Eduard Hilgard, member of the board of Allianz, became head of the "Reich Group for Insurance" in 1934. He represented the insurance industry in a conference summoned by Hermann Göring after the November Pogrom of 1938. Hilgard reported on the material damages caused during the Kristallnacht Pogrom and the estimated amounts of money insurance companies had to cover.

Feldman summarized his findings stating: "It was just one more piece of business in the Third Reich, but it demonstrated that such pieces on any large scale made contact at some point with all that is represented by the name “Auschwitz” – from slave labor to extermination – virtually inescapable.“^[12]

See also[link]

	Bavaria portal
	Companies portal

• European Financial Services Roundtable
• The Geneva Association

References[link]

This article relies on references to primary sources or sources affiliated with the subject, rather than references from independent authors and third-party publications. Please add citations from reliable sources. (December 2006)

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Allianz

• Official website

v t e DAX companies of Germany Adidas Allianz BASF Bayer Beiersdorf BMW Commerzbank Daimler Deutsche Bank Deutsche Börse Deutsche Post Deutsche Telekom E.ON Fresenius Fresenius Medical Care HeidelbergCement Henkel Infineon Technologies K+S Linde Lufthansa MAN Merck METRO Munich Re RWE SAP Siemens ThyssenKrupp Volkswagen

Coordinates: 48°09′16″N 11°35′20″E / 48.15444°N 11.58889°E / 48.15444; 11.58889

Franck Ribéry

Personal information
Full name	Franck Ribéry
Date of birth	(1983-04-07) 7 April 1983 (age 29)
Place of birth	Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
Height	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Playing position	Winger
Club information
Current club	Bayern Munich
Number	7
Youth career
1989–1996	Conti Boulogne
1996–1999	Lille
1999–2000	Boulogne
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2000–2002	Boulogne	28	(6)
2002–2003	Alès	19	(1)
2003–2004	Stade Brestois	35	(3)
2004–2005	Metz	20	(1)
2005	Galatasaray	14	(0)
2005–2007	Marseille	60	(11)
2007–	Bayern Munich	129	(43)
National team‡
2004–2006	France U21	13	(2)
2006–	France	59	(9)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15:13, 5 May 2012 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 02:45, 31 May 2012 (UTC)

Franck Ribéry (French pronunciation: [fʁɑ̃k ʁibeʁi]; born 7 April 1983) is a French international footballer who plays for German club Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga and for the France national team. He primarily plays as a winger, preferably on the left side, and is known for "pace, energy, skill and precise passing."^[1] Ribéry is described as a player who is "fast, tricky and an excellent dribbler" who "has great control with the ball at his feet".^[2] Since joining Bayern, he has been recognised on the world stage as one of the best French players of his generation. The previous talisman of French national team, Zinedine Zidane, has called Ribéry the "jewel of French football".^[3]

Ribéry's career began in 1989 as a youth player for local hometown club Conti Boulogne. He left the club after seven years to join professional outfit Lille, but departed the club after three years after having difficulties adjusting. In 1999, Ribéry joined US Boulogne, where he played for two years. After spending two more years in the amateur divisions with two different clubs (Alès and Brest), in 2004, Ribéry earned a move to Ligue 1 club FC Metz. After six months with the club, Ribéry moved to Turkey in January 2005 joining Galatasaray where he won the Turkish Cup. After six months at Galatasaray, he departed the club in controversial fashion in order to return to France to join Marseille. Ribéry spent two seasons at the club helping the Marseillais reach the final of the Coupe de France in back-to-back seasons. In 2007, Ribéry joined German club Bayern Munich for a then club-record fee of €25 million. With Bayern, he has won the double on two occasions; in the 2007–08 and 2009–10 seasons. In 2010, Ribéry contributed to the team that reached the 2010 UEFA Champions League Final, but was unable to participate in the match due to suspension.

Ribéry is a French international. Prior to representing the senior team, he played at under-21 level. At senior level, Ribéry has represented his nation two FIFA World Cups and UEFA Euro 2008. He made his international debut in May 2006 against Mexico. At the 2006 World Cup, Ribéry scored his first international goal against Spain and played in the final match against Italy. Individually, Ribéry is a two-time winner of the French Player of the Year award and has also won the German Footballer of the Year becoming the first player to hold both honours. He has also been named to the UEFA Team of the Year and declared the Young Player of the Year in France.

Personal life[link]

Ribéry was born on 7 April 1983 in Boulogne-sur-Mer and raised in a low-income neighbourhood on the fringes of the city.^[4] When he was two years old, he and his family were involved in a car accident in his hometown, colliding with a truck.^[5] Ribéry suffered serious facial injuries that resulted in over one hundred stitches and left two long scars down the right side of his face.^[5] Prior to joining Stade Brestois in 2003, he worked as a construction worker with his father, which Ribéry referred to as a "learning experience".^[6] Ribéry's younger brother François is also a football player, and has played for numerous amateur clubs in France. François plays for Bayonne in the Championnat National.^[7] Ribéry's wife, Wahiba, is a French national of Algerian descent and the couple have two daughters and a son.^[1][8][9] Ribéry is a convert to Islam and, following his conversion, adopted the name Bilal Yusuf Mohammed.^[10][11][12]

Ribéry in December 2007 wearing a pair of red MVIII's.

Since establishing himself as an international, Ribéry has been involved in numerous promotional campaigns. For the 2008–09 season, he appeared, alongside international teammate Karim Benzema, on the French cover of video game FIFA 09.^[13] Ribéry is sponsored by American sportswear company Nike and regularly wears Nike Mercurial Vapors. He has appeared in several television advertisements for the brand and, during the 2007–08 Bundesliga season, starred in a one-time television show called "The Franck Ribéry Show", which aired on Direct 8 in France.^[14][15] The show, sponsored by Nike, acted as a variety show with Ribéry appearing in several sketches.^[16] On 25 May 2010, a 27 by 30 metres (89 × 98 ft) billboard of Ribéry was officially unveiled in his home city of Boulogne-sur-Mer ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The billboard paid tribute to a similar billboard that was erected for Zinedine Zidane in his home city of Marseille during his career.^[17] The construction of the billboard was initially suspended due to possible image ramifications associated with Ribéry's alleged relationship with an underage prostitute.^[18] However, the Regional Council of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region, which initially opposed the billboard, agreed to allow construction of the billboard. The billboard was a project of Ribéry's sponsor Nike and was on display for the duration of the FIFA World Cup.^[19]

On 18 April 2010, it was first reported by French television service M6 that four members of the French national team were being investigated for their roles as clients of a prostitution ring that was being operated inside of a Paris nightclub with some of the women possibly being underage. The report also stated that two of the players were already questioned as witnesses by judge André Dando and a group of magistrates. The report described the two players as being one who “is a major player in a big foreign club” and that the other “plays in the championship of France Ligue 1".^[20] Later that day, the players were discovered to be Ribéry and Sidney Govou.^[21] During his interview with Dando, Ribéry reportedly admitted to having a relationship with a prostitute, but did not know that she was a minor at the time the relationship began.^[22][23] On 29 April, the country's Secretary of State for Sports Rama Yade, after refusing to publicly comment on the case in its infancy, declared that any player placed under investigation should not represent the France national team.^[24] The following day, a judicial source confirmed that Ribéry would not be placed under official investigation, if at all, before the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.^[25] On 20 July, Ribéry was questioned by Paris police and, following questioning, was indicted by judge Dando on the charge of "solicitation of a minor prostitute".^[26][27][28] In November 2011 prosecutors asked for the cases against Ribéry and Benzema to be dropped, saying that the players were not aware that the escort was 16 years old when they had paid sex with her.^[29]

Club career[link]

Early career[link]

Ribéry began his football career at age six playing in the youth section of amateur club FC Conti de Boulogne-sur-Mer.^[30][31] After a seven-year stay, in 1996, he joined professional outfit Lille, who were playing in the second division. While at Lille, Ribéry excelled athletically, but developed academic and behavioral problems, which led to Lille releasing him.^[30][32] After leaving Lille, Ribéry returned to his hometown joining the biggest club in the city, US Boulogne. After spending a year in the reserves, he was promoted to the senior team. Ribéry only made four appearances in his debut season as Boulogne, who were playing in the CFA, the fourth division of French football, earned promotion to third-tier Championnat National.^[33] In his second season with the club, Ribéry appeared in 25 league matches converting five goals. Though Boulogne finished 17th, which meant a return to the fourth division, Ribéry's solid performances earned him a move to fellow National club Olympique Alès.^[34] In his only season at the club, Ribéry made 18 appearances scoring only one goal.^[35] Following the season, despite finishing safe, Alès were relegated to the Division d'Honneur, the sixth division of French football, by the DNCG after the club declared bankruptcy.^[36] The resulting news led to Ribéry signing with Stade Brest, another Championnat National club. At Brest, Ribéry established himself as a premier player in the league appearing in 35 league matches scoring three goals.^[37] Ribéry's performance and the team as a whole led to the club finishing second in the league, thus earning promotion to Ligue 2.^[31]

Despite the success with Brest, Ribéry sought to play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. His dream came to fruition when FC Metz's manager Jean Fernandez took a liking to him and recruited him on a free transfer.^[31] Ribéry only spent half a season at Metz, but impressed earning the UNFP Player of the Month in August 2004. He scored his only league goal for Metz on 6 November in the team's 1–1 draw with Toulouse.^[38] His stellar play on the right side of midfield led to Metz supporters comparing him to Robert Pirès, a former Metz legend.^[32] After negotiations on an extension ended in a stalemate, in January 2005, Ribéry relocated to Turkey. There he joined Galatasaray on an initial loan deal; the Istanbul-based outfit had the right to pay Metz €2 million to make the move permanent.

At Galatasaray, Ribéry was brought in by manager Gheorghe Hagi and appeared in 14 league matches as the club finished in 3rd place position. While playing for the club, Galatasaray supporters nicknamed him Ferraribery, in reference to his quick acceleration with the ball at his feet and also Scarface, due to a large scar located on the right side of his face.^{[39][40][41][42]} In the Turkish Cup, Ribéry was instrumental in the club's 5–1 thrashing of rivals Fenerbahçe in the competition's ultimate match. He scored the opening goal in the 16th minute and also assisted on another goal. Ribéry was later substituted in the 52nd minute with Galatasaray leading 3–1. The trophy was Ribéry's first major honour.

Move to Marseille and CAS ruling[link]

Franck Ribéry with Marseille against Lille in October 2005.

On 15 June 2005, Ribéry announced that he would be returning to France joining Marseille on a five-year contract, thus reuniting with former manager Jean Fernandez. The move was considered surprising to Galatasaray as Ribéry had three years remaining on his contract after the club paid Metz €2 million to make the loan move permanent on 30 March.^[43] Ribéry argued that he had not been paid his wages by the club and asked FIFA, the sport's governing body, to invalidate his contract. He also confirmed that, at one point during the season, he was threatened with a baseball bat by his former agent and a Galatasaray director.^[44] A day after announcing his move, Galatasaray officials and manager Eric Gerets blasted the player for betraying the club and also announced their intent to ask FIFA to probe the situation.^[43][45] In July 2005, FIFA ruled in favour of Ribéry and dismissed Galatasaray's claims of the player being at fault. In response, the Turkish club announced their decision to challenge FIFA's ruling by appealing to the international Court of Arbitration for Sport. On 25 April 2007, their appeal was dismissed by the court, who declared in a statement that Ribéry had terminated his contract with the Turkish club at the end of the 2004–05 season on just grounds, and that Galatasaray was therefore not entitled to any compensation. Galatasaray had sought €10 million in compensation from Marseille.^[46]

2005–06 season[link]

Upon his arrival, Ribéry was handed the number 7 shirt and made his debut on 30 July 2005 in a 2–0 defeat to Bordeaux collecting a yellow card.^[47] On 17 September, he scored his first goal for the club in their 2–1 victory over Troyes.^[48] Two weeks later, Ribéry netted goals in back-to-back matches in victories over his former club Metz and Nice.^[49][50] On 19 November, Ribéry scored the game-winning goal in a 2–1 win over Nantes.^[51] The goal, scored from almost 35 metres (1,400 in) out, was later voted the goal of the season by supporters.^[52] In the Coupe de France, Ribéry performed well scoring a double against Le Havre and scoring the opening goal in Marseille's 3–1 semi-final victory over Rennes. The win pushed Marseille through to the 2006 final where they faced Le Classique rivals Paris Saint-Germain, which merited Ribéry his second consecutive cup final appearance. Unfortunately, Marseille faltered losing 2–1 to the Parisian club. In Europe, Ribéry scored two goals in the UEFA Intertoto Cup against Italian club Lazio and Spanish outfit Deportivo de La Coruña. In the UEFA Cup, he scored one goal converting it in the second leg of Marseille's Round of 32 tie with Premier League club Bolton Wanderers. Ribéry was later named the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) Young Player of the Year.

2006–07 season[link]

Following Ribéry's success internationally at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, a bidding war occurred in order to obtain his services with English club Arsenal initially offering €15 million for the player. However, Arsenal would be trumped by Spanish club Real Madrid, who offered €30 million for the Frenchman, according to Marseille directors.^[53] Rivals Olympique Lyonnais also sought Ribéry's services with president Pape Diouf accusing Jean-Michel Aulas of tapping-up Ribéry after it was discovered that the Lyon chairman visited the France national team and Ribéry himself during the 2006 FIFA World Cup.^[54] Diouf later threatened to report Aulas to the Ligue de Football Professionnel for his actions.^[55] He also went as far as to accuse Ribéry's former agent, Bruno Heiderscheid, of badly advising the player.^[56] Despite the tumultuous summer, Marseille continued to declare the player off limits with Ribéry having nearly four years left on his contract.^[57] On 11 August 2006, Ribéry confirmed his intentions to remain at the club for the 2006–07 season.^[58]

Franck Ribéry arguing with referee Hervé Piccirillo.

Ribéry's now heightened popularity saw increased speculation from writers and supporters that Marseille would finally win their first league title since the 1991–92 season. He began the 2006–07 campaign on a high note scoring in the club's second match of the season against Auxerre in a 3–0 trouncing.^[59] However, through the rest of the autumn season, Ribéry went cold going scoreless. On 11 November 2006, he suffered a serious groin injury in Marseille's 1–0 loss to Lille.^[60] The resulting injury meant Ribéry was out for a number of weeks, returning following the winter break. On his return in January, Ribéry netted two goals in another win over Auxerre.^[61] The following month, Ribéry suffered a fractured foot in a match against Toulouse.^[62] The injury required him to miss four league matches, as well as a Coupe de France match. In April 2007, Ribéry finished the league season by scoring in back-to-back weeks against Sochaux in a 4–2 win and Monaco in another victory.^[63][64]

In the Coupe de France, Marseille again reached the final with Ribéry, for the second straight season, putting them there scoring the game-winning goal in a 3–0 semi-final win over Nantes. In the final, Marseille were heavy favorites over Sochaux, a team they had completely dominated just 12 days prior. However, Sochaux recorded an upset victory defeating Marseille 5–4 on penalties after the match ended 2–2 following extra time. Ribéry's final match with Marseille was a 1–0 win over Sedan on the final match day of the season.^[65] The victory secured 2nd place for Marseille and was their best finish since finishing runner-up to Bordeaux during the 1998–99 season. Following the season, Ribéry was awarded the French Player of the Year by French sports publication France Football. The honor ended the four-year reign of Thierry Henry.^[66]

Bayern Munich[link]

Franck Ribéry at a training session with Bayern Munich.

2007–08 season[link]

On 7 June 2007, German club Bayern Munich announced that they had reached an agreement with Marseille for the transfer of Ribéry with the player agreeing to a four-year deal and Bayern paying Marseille a then club-record €25 million.^[67] Ribéry was given the number 7 shirt, which was freed up due to the retirement of midfielder Mehmet Scholl at the end of the previous season.^[68] He made his team début one month later, scoring twice in an 18–0 friendly drubbing of Munich youth side FT Gern. Ribéry made his competitive debut for Bayern on 21 July 2007 against Werder Bremen in the first round of the Premiere Ligapokal scoring twice and also assisting on another in a 4–1 victory.^[69] In the semifinals, he netted an early goal in a 2–0 win over defending champions VfB Stuttgart.^[70] Due to injury Ribéry was unable to play in the final, which Bayern won.

Ribéry scored his first league goal for the club on 18 August in a 4–0 triumph over Bremen converting a penalty in the 31st minute.^[71] He went scoreless in the league for almost two months before scoring a goal and providing the assist on Bayern's other goal in a 2–1 win over Bochum.^[72] A month later, Ribéry recorded this feat again providing the assist on the opening goal scored by Miroslav Klose and scoring the game winning goal in a 2–1 win over Wolfsburg.^[73] In the German Cup, he recorded two goals and provided four assists in five matches Bayern Munich contested. He netted his first goal in the competition on 27 February 2008 in Bayern's win over inner-city rivals 1860 Munich with Ribéry converting the lone goal, a penalty, in the final minute of extra time.^[74] In the semifinals, Ribéry scored the opening goal in Bayern's 2–0 win over Wolfsburg, which resulted in the club qualifying for the final where they faced Borussia Dortmund.^[75] In the competition's ultimate match, Ribéry assisted on Luca Toni's opener in the 11th minute. Bayern won the match 2–1, claiming their 14th cup title.^[76]

In the UEFA Cup, Bayern reached the semi-finals with Ribéry scoring three goals in the competition including one in the Germans' comeback win over Spanish club Getafe in the quarterfinals. In total, Ribéry appeared in 46 matches scoring 16 goals and assisting on 17 goals as Bayern won the league and cup double. For his efforts, on 8 June 2008, Ribéry was named the 2007–08 German Footballer of the Year.^[77] He was also named the French Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.^[78]

2008–09 season[link]

Ribéry during a match against Hertha in February 2009.

Due to tearing ligaments in his ankle at Euro 2008, Ribéry began the season with Bayern on 24 September 2008 in a German Cup match against Nuremberg appearing as a substitute in the 65th minute.^[79] He made his league debut three days later and, after a month of play, scored his first goal of the season in Bayern's 4–2 comeback win over Wolfsburg.^[80] Following the match, Ribéry proceeded to go on a goal-scoring rampage converting at least one goal in five straight league matches with the club going undefeated in that span. On 10 December, Ribéry capped the 2008 portion of the season by scoring a goal and provided the assists on the other two in Bayern's 3–2 victory over Lyon in the UEFA Champions League. For his performances during the 2008 calendar year, he finished third behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi for the Onze d'Or. Ribéry was also shortlisted by the French magazine France Football for the 2008 Ballon d'Or award,^[81] won by Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ribéry's 2009 debut saw Bayern earn a 5–1 German Cup win over Stuttgart with the player scoring and also providing an assist.^[82] On 24 February 2009, he scored a double in the club's 5–0 win over Portuguese club Sporting in the first leg of their Round of 16 clash.^[83] Bayern were later eliminated 5–1 on aggregate by Spanish champions Barcelona in the next round with Ribéry scoring a consolation goal in the second leg.^[84] In the league, Bayern failed to defend their Bundesliga title, despite suffering defeat only twice in their final 13 matches, losing out to Wolfsburg. Ribéry ended the season with 36 total appearances scoring 14 goals and issuing 19 assists.

2009–10 season[link]

Following the 2008–09 season, constant speculation began to surface regarding Ribéry's availability on the transfer market. Despite Bayern president Uli Hoeneß, executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, and new manager Louis van Gaal declaring that Ribéry would not be sold, numerous media outlets declared that English clubs Chelsea and Manchester United, Spanish clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid, and Italian outfit Internazionale had strong interest in the player with many of the clubs willing to offer as much as €65 million for the player.^{[86][87][88][89]} In order to quell the interest, Hoeneß declared that Ribéry would leave for nothing less than €100 million.^[90]

Ribéry before UEFA Champions League match against Manchester United in April 2010.

Ribéry started the 2009–10 season struggling with tendonitis in his left knee, but was healthy enough to start the season scoring his first goal in a 5–1 victory against Borussia Dortmund converting a free kick.^[91][92] The goal was notable in part due to Ribéry's celebration afterward. Following his conversion of the free kick goal, Ribéry ran across the field eluding several celebratory teammates and enthusiastically jumped into his manager Louis van Gaal's awaiting arms.^[93] The mutual show of admiration ended speculation by the media of the two having a bad relationship.^[94][95] In early October, the tendinitis began to affect his play, which resulted in Ribéry missing the rest of the year, as well as France's World Cup playoff tie with the Republic of Ireland.^[96] Ribéry returned to the team on 23 January 2010 appearing as a substitute in the club's 3–2 league win over Werder Bremen.^[97] Ribéry's first goal of the new year came on 10 February scoring in Bayern's 6–2 DFB-Pokal victory over SpVgg Greuther Fürth.^[98] On 31 March, he scored the equalizing goal in Bayern's 2–1 first leg win over English club Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals after converting a free kick, which deflected off of striker Wayne Rooney before going into the net.^[99] In the club's ensuing match, Ribéry scored the opening goal in the team's 2–1 victory over Schalke.^[100]

On 20 April, Ribéry was sent off by referee Roberto Rosetti in the club's first leg UEFA Champions League semi-final against Lyon after being adjudged to have committed serious foul play on Lyon striker Lisandro.^[101] The expulsion resulted in Ribéry missing the second leg in Lyon, which Bayern won to advance to the UEFA Champions League final.^[102] On 28 April, Ribéry was handed a three-match suspension by UEFA's Control and Disciplinary Body for assault.^[103] The suspension meant that Ribéry would miss the final.^[104] Following the ruling, Bayern Munich announced their intent to appeal the suspension.^[105] On 5 May, the club's appeal was heard by the UEFA Appeals Body and Ribéry's ban was upheld which meant that not only would Ribéry miss the final on 22 May, but he would also miss the next UEFA club competition fixture for which he is eligible.^[106] However, immediately after the ruling, Bayern responded by announcing their intent to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.^[107] On 15 May, Ribéry scored the third goal in Bayern's 4–0 win over Werder Bremen in the 2009–10 edition of the DFB-Pokal final. Two days later, Ribéry's appeal was heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport and was dismissed meaning he was officially ruled out of the UEFA Champions League final against Inter on 22 May.^{[108][109][110]} Bayern Munich lost the match 2–0.^[111][112] On 20 May, it was announced by German newspaper Bild that Ribéry had agreed to a new five-year contract with Bayern Munich and that the player would sign the contract upon his arrival in Madrid to watch his teammates contest the UEFA Champions League final.^[113] On 23 May, the day after the final, the club officially confirmed the agreement.^[114] The new deal ties Ribéry to the club until 2015 and, though there is uncertainty regarding the annual salary, it has been speculated that the new deal pays him an annual salary of €10 million a year, the highest annual salary ever awarded to a player in the club's history.^[115]

2010–11 season[link]

Ribéry began the 2010–11 season healthy for the first time since his debut season with the club. He was among the first World Cup players to arrive to pre-season training and made his season debut on 16 August 2010 in Bayern's 4–0 victory over Germania Windeck in the 1st round of the DFB-Pokal. In the match, Ribéry scored his first goal of the season.^[116] Four days later, he assisted on the game-winning goal, scored by Bastian Schweinsteiger, in the team's opening league match against Wolfsburg.^[117] On 21 September, Ribéry was forced to leave the team's 2–1 win over Hoffenheim after suffering an ankle injury.^[118] The injury was discovered to be serious and Ribéry was ruled out for four weeks.^[119]

Despite the initial diagnosis, Ribéry missed two months and returned to the team on 14 November in a league match against Nuremberg.^[120] A week later, Ribéry was criticized by manager Louis Van Gaal for his performance in a friendly match against Unterhaching, which was organized to help Ribéry and other injured first-team players regain full fitness. Though Van Gaal was disappointed in several of his players' performances, he singled out Ribéry stating "he (Ribéry) didn't make any effort and showed no commitment".^[121] Ribéry did, however, remain in contention to appear in the team's next league match against Bayer Leverkusen. He, subsequently, appeared in the match as a substitute in the 61st minute.^[122] On 8 December, Ribéry scored a double in a 3–0 victory over Swiss club Basel in the Champions League.^[123] On 15 January, in Bayern's first league match following the winter break against Wolfsburg, Ribéry suffered a lower leg injury in the first half as a result of a tackle by Braziian midfielder Josué.^[124] Initial media reports described the injury as serious with Ribéry possibly having to undergo surgery to repair torn ligaments.^[125][126] However, after further medical analysis, the injury was only reduced to a sprain and Ribéry subsequently missed two weeks.^[127][128] He returned to the team on 5 February in a league match against Köln.^[129] On 12 February, Ribéry assisted on two goals in a 4–0 win over Hoffenheim.^[130]

Following the team's 3–1 league win over FSV Mainz on 19 February, Ribéry embarked on a streak in which he charted a statistical output in Bayern's next five league matches. On 26 February, he assisted on the team's only goal in its 3–1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund.^[131] In the next match against Hannover 96, he repeated his feat from the previous match assisted on an Arjen Robben goal in another defeat.^[132] On 12 March, Ribéry had arguably his best performance of the season after scoring a goal and providing three assists in a 6–0 hammering of Hamburger SV.^[133] In Bayern's following match against SC Freiburg, he assisted on the team's opening goal, scored by Mario Gomez, and then netted the game-winning goal two minutes from time in a 2–1 win.^[134] Against Borussia Mönchengladbach on 2 April, Ribéry assisted on the only goal of the match, which was converted by Robben.^[135] The streak ended in the team's 1–1 draw with 1. FC Nuremberg on 11 April.^[136] Six days later, Ribéry scored the final goal in a 5–1 sweeping of Bayer Leverkusen.^[137][138]

2011–12 season[link]

Prior to the start of the 2011–12 season, Ribéry suffered an ankle injury during a pre-season training session, which resulted in the player being carried from the training ground by members of the club's medical team.^[139] Despite the player himself fearing he may have torn ligaments in the ankle, after an examination, club doctors revealed that the injury wasn't as serious as first thought and Ribéry missed only one competitive match; a 3–0 DFP-Pokal away win over Eintracht Braunschweig on 1 August 2011.^[140][141] Ribéry made his season debut a week later in Bayern's opening league match of the season playing the entire match in a 1–0 loss to Borussia Mönchengladbach.^[142] In the following week, he assisted on the game-winning goal, scored by Luiz Gustavo, in a win over VfL Wolfsburg.^[143] Ribéry scored his first goal of the campaign in the team's next league match against Hamburger SV.^[144] Bayern won the match 5–0. Following the international break, on 10 September, he scored a double and assisted on a goal in a 7–0 home victory over SC Freiburg.^[145] A week later, Ribéry assisted on both team goals in a shutout win over Schalke.^[146]

Following the October international break, Ribéry manufactured another statistical output after scoring and assisting on two goals in a 4–0 win over Hertha Berlin.^[147] On 29 October, he scored the game-winning goal in a 2–1 win over Augsburg.^[148] In the UEFA Champions League, Ribéry scored his first goal in the competition on 22 November against Spanish club Villarreal in the group stage. He scored one goal in each half to give Bayern a 3–1 win, which allowed the club progression to the UEFA Champions League knockout phase.^[149] On 3 December, Ribéry scored another set of goals in a 4–1 win against Werder Bremen.^[150] The league win re-inserted Bayern back into first place position in the league after momentarily losing the spot in late November.^[151] After failing to score a goal in two months, on 8 February 2012, Ribéry scored the game-winning goal in a 2–0 win over VfB Stuttgart in the quarter-finals of the DFB-Pokal.^[152] The goal resulted in Ribéry scoring in every official competition Bayern Munich has participated in since he joined the club in 2007.

On 26 February, Ribéry scored two goals in a shutout win over Schalke.^[153] Two weeks later, in a 7–1 thrashing of Hoffenheim, he scored another goal and assisted on goals scored by Toni Kroos, Arjen Robben, and Mario Gomez.^[154] In the semi-finals of the DFP-Pokal, Ribéry scored the second goal in the team's 4–2 extra time win over Borussia Mönchengladbach. The win inserted Bayern Munich into its 18th German Cup final.^[155] On 17 April, Ribéry scored Bayern's opening goal in its 2–1 first leg victory over Spanish club Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League.^[156] Two days after the match, it was reported by German publication Sport Bild that Ribéry was involved in a dressing room fight during half-time of the Madrid match with Robben.^[157] The report also stated that "a clear-the-air meeting was held" and Ribéry was "said to have apologized and accepted a fine for his actions".^[158] In the team's ensuing match against Werder Bremen, Ribéry appeared as a substitute and scored the game-winning goal in the 90th minute.^[159] In extra time of the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final he was subbed out after sustaining an injury from a tackle by Didier Drogba. Bayern eventually lost in a penalty kick shootout.

International career[link]

Ribéry playing for France against Colombia in June 2008.

Prior to representing the senior team, Ribéry was ever present with the France under-21 team earning his first selection on 3 September 2004 in a 1–0 victory over Israel in qualifying for the 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship.^[160] Ribéry scored his first under-21 goal five days later in a 1–0 friendly win over Slovakia.^[161] On 15 November 2005, he scored an important goal against England during the qualification playoffs as France defeated them 3–2 on aggregate to advance to the finals.^[162] Ribéry, however, missed the competition after earning selection to coach Raymond Domenech's pre-World Cup squad. In total with the under-21s, Ribéry made 13 appearances scoring two goals.^[163]

Ribéry earned his first cap with the senior team in a 1–0 victory over Mexico on 27 May 2006 appearing as a substitute in the 74th minute for striker David Trézéguet.^[164] His solid performances in the friendly matches ahead of the 2006 FIFA World Cup led to his inclusion in the team for the competition. Ribéry appeared in all seven matches France contested, starting six. On 27 June, he scored France's opening goal in the team's 3–1 Round of 16 win over Spain after receiving a through ball from Patrick Vieira, which allowed the winger to dribble past an oncoming Iker Casillas and shoot into the empty net.^[165] He later played in the final where France lost to Italy on penalties. Ribéry's only shot on goal came in extra time and he was later replaced by Trézéguet.^[166]

Following the retirement of Zinedine Zidane, it was expected that Ribéry would succeed him and become the national team's talisman.^[167] He went scoreless for almost a year and a half before converting a penalty shot against England on 26 March 2008 at the Stade de France. Following the goal, Ribéry paid tribute to legendary French commentator Thierry Gilardi who had passed away a day earlier.^[168] At Euro 2008, France performed below expectations with Ribéry appearing in all three group stage matches as France suffered early elimination. On 17 June 2008, in the team's final group stage match against Italy, Ribéry ruptured a ligament in his left ankle in just the 8th minute of play.^[169] Ribéry returned to the team on 11 October 2008 in a FIFA World Cup qualification match against Romania and scored the team's opening goal in a 2–2 draw.^[170] On 28 March 2009, he scored the lone goal away to Lithuania.^[171] Three days later, he completed this feat again, this time at the Stade de France, netting the winner in the 75th minute following service from André-Pierre Gignac.^[172]

On 11 May 2010, Ribéry was named to Domenech's 30-man preliminary squad to participate in the 2010 FIFA World Cup and his second World Cup overall. He was later named to the 23-man team to compete in the competition. Ribéry appeared in all three group stage matches. Following the team's opening match against Uruguay, Ribéry was criticized for his performance by former international Just Fontaine with the former striker questioning Ribéry's leadership ability.^[174] It was later reported by the media that Ribéry and striker Nicolas Anelka purposely "froze-out" midfielder Yoann Gourcuff.^[175] Anelka was later dismissed from the team after reportedly having a dispute, in which obscenities were passed, with Domenech during half-time of the team's 2–0 loss to Mexico.^[176] On 20 June, an emotional Ribéry appeared, alongside Domenech, on TF1's football show Téléfoot to dispelled any rumors associated with the team and to also apologize to supporters for the national team's performance over the past two years stating that "We (France) are suffering at the moment" and "I would like to say sorry to the whole country".^[177][178] The following day, the team boycotted a training session in response to Anelka's expulsion and, on 21 June, returned to training without incident.^[179] In the team's final group stage match against the hosts South Africa, Ribéry assisted on the team's only goal of the competition scored by Florent Malouda. France lost the match 2–1, which resulted in the team's elimination from the competition. On 6 August, Ribéry was one of five players summoned to attend a hearing held by the Disciplinary Committee of the French Football Federation in response to the team's strike held at the World Cup.^[180] On 17 August, he received a three-match international ban for his part in the incident.^[181] Ribéry did not attend the hearing due to his parent club's objection.^[182]