title: Galatasaray S.K. (football)

text: Probably the greatest record that the club holds is winning national championships in 15 different sport branches in the 1986–87 season. Another achievement in this period was reaching the semi-final of the European Cup in the 1988–89 season, making Galatasaray the first and only Turkish team to have played a semi-final in this competition.


title: Galatasaray S.K. (football)

text: Galatasaray's most successful era came in the late 1990s, when the club become the first and only Turkish football club to win a major UEFA competition. They were aided in this by one of Turkey's best generation of homegrown footballers who went on to finish third in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, after having played in the quarter-finals of UEFA Euro 2000. Besides the talented players, visiting teams also disliked traveling into Ali Sami Yen Stadium, literally dubbed "Hell" by Galatasaray supporters due to the intimidating atmosphere provided by the fans including chants and riots in the crowds.


title: Galatasaray S.K. (football)

text: There are many successful footballers who have played for Galatasaray and made their mark on Turkish football history. The team's legendary players include Nihat Bekdik nicknamed "Aslan" (Lion); the 1930s national hero Eşfak Aykaç; Boduri who died aged 21; Mehmet Leblebi who scored a domestic record of 14 goals in a single match; Gündüz Kılıç nicknamed "Baba" (Father) who was the coach but also the player of his team in the 1950s, with great success in both duties; Bülent-Reha Eken brothers; Suat Mamat who scored three goals in the 1954 FIFA World Cup; Coşkun Özarı who devoted his life to Galatasaray; Turgay Şeren the heroic goalkeeper who was called "the Panther of Berlin"; Fatih Terim, the team captain of Galatasaray and Turkish national football team for many years, who won the UEFA Cup in 2000 as the team's coach; Metin Oktay the legendary six-time top-scorer of the Turkish Super League; Zoran Simović, another skilled goalkeeper known for his penalty saves; Cüneyt Tanman who played a record of 342 games for Galatasaray; Tanju Çolak, an extraordinary goalscorer and the 1988 European Golden Boot winner with Galatasaray; Cevad Prekazi, an Albanian teammate of Tanju Çolak specializing in free kicks; Cláudio Taffarel the World Cup-winning goalkeeper for Brazil; Gheorghe Hagi, the Romanian football hero who is still described by some as the best foreign player ever to play in Turkey; Brazilian striker Mário Jardel, dubbed "Super Mário" by the fans and scored both of Galatasaray's two goals in the 2000 European Super Cup Final against Real Madrid; and last, but not least, Hakan Şükür, the player who scored most goals in Süper Lig history with 249.


title: Galatasaray S.K. (football)

text: Galatasaray () is a quarter in Karaköy in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul, located at the northern shore of the Golden Horn. Its name comes from that of Galata, which may in turn have derived from "Galatai" (meaning the "Galatians"), as the Celtic tribes were thought to have camped at Galata during the Hellenistic period before settling in Galatia in central Anatolia. "Galatasaray" translates directly as "Galata Palace" ("saray" means "palace" in Persian). Galatasaray High School, established in the area in 1481, was the progenitor of Galatasaray S.K. as well as other institutions of Galatasaray Community.


title: Galatasaray S.K. (football)

text: "Galatasaray" is a compound word and is pronounced as such, with a very brief pause between the two words. There is no diminutive form of the club's name. Fans refer to the club either by its full name or by its nickname "Cim-Bom(-Bom)", )—of uncertain etymology. However, the shortened form "Gala" is sometimes used by English speakers.


title: Galatasaray S.K. (football)

text: Galatasaray's first emblem was drawn by 333 [School Number] Şevki Ege. This was the figure of a spread-winged eagle with a football in its beak. The eagle was a model emblem that Galatasaray dwelled on in the beginning. But when the name did not attract too much interest, Şevki Ege's composition was pushed aside. It was replaced by the current design in the 1920s. This replaced in 1925 by the current "Ghayn-Sin" crest, which are the first two Arabic letters of "G"alata "S"aray, designed by Ayetullah Emin.


title: Galatasaray S.K. (football)

text: At first, the colours of Galatasaray were red and white. These are the colours in the modern Turkish flag. The Turkish Republic, however, was not founded at that time. Therefore, this decision caused the repressive administration of the day to feel uncomfortable and the administration subsequently pressured the footballers. For this reason, on December 26, 1906 the colors were changed to yellow and black. The eight-piece halved design kit was ordered from the Sports Outfitter William Shillcock based in Birmingham, United Kingdom. After a heavy 0-5 loss to Baltalimanı in a friendly match the new colours yellow and black were counted as inauspicious.


title: Galatasaray S.K. (football)

text: On 6 December 1908, for a match against the football team of the Royal Navy cruiser , Galatasaray finally settled on playing in red and yellow, inspired by the roses which Gül Baba offered to Sultan Bayezid II.


title: Galatasaray S.K. (football)

text: Ali Sami Yen stated, ""After we have been in and out of several shops, we saw two different elegant-looking wool materials in Fatty Yanko's store at Bahçekapısı (between Eminönü and Sirkeci in Istanbul, now called Bahçekapı). One of them was quite dark red, resembling the cherry color, and the other a rich yellow with a touch of orange. When the sales clerk made the two fabrics fly together with a twist of his hand they became so bright that it reminded us the beauty of a goldfinch. We thought we were looking at the colors flickering in burning fire. We were picturing the yellow-red flames shining on our team and dreaming that it would take us to victories. Indeed it did"."


title: Galatasaray S.K. (football)

text: The Galatasaray home kit have always been fundamentally the same since 1908. The traditional shirt of Galatasaray is the eight-piece halved design. This consists of the shirt’s front, back and sleeves being made up of two colours, resulting in the shirt being split into eight parts. (Two same colours are never next to each other within the 8 parts.) The colours continue in an alternating order, from yellow to red. This results in the front of the shirt being the opposite of the back and the shirt also having an halved design from the side. This alternating colour order of eight parts creates a complete halved design for the shirt.


title: Galatasaray S.K. (football)

text: The classic eight-piece halved design would become the look of Galatasaray for around 80 years, until 1985 when sportswear manufacturer Adidas began to provide the shirts and the sleeves were made up by one colour and not halved.


title: Galatasaray S.K. (football)

text: Created over a century ago, the classic Galatasaray kit combination consists of the eight-piece halved traditional shirt, white shorts and red socks and are usually worn as part of the home strip. This changed in the mid-1980s, when sportswear manufacturer Adidas began to provide the shirts. The club reverted to the "classic" kit in 2012. The official colours are Pantone shades 1235 (yellow) and 201 (red).


title: Galatasaray S.K. (football)

text: Galatasaray's kit is manufactured by Nike, who have held the contract since 2011. Previous kit manufacturers have been: Çamlıca (1978–79); Adidas (1978–82, 1984–91, 1995–2001, and 2005–11); Umbro (1979–81, 1982–83, 1991–95, and 2002–05); Puma (1980–81); Gola (1981–82); Fatih (1984–85); and Lotto (2001–02).


title: Galatasaray S.K. (football)

text: Since 2020, Galatasaray's shirt sponsors have been Sixt. Previous sponsors include: Volvo and PeReJa (1977–78); Halı Fleks (1979–80); Telefunken, Alo, and THY (1980–81); Borsaş and Meban (1981–83); Telefunken (1983–84); Modell's (1984–85); Denizbank (1984–86); TürkBank (1986–91); ADEC Saat (1991–92); SHOW TV (1991–95); Emek Sigorta (1992–95); VakıfBank (1995–97); Bank Ekspres (1997–98); Marshall (1998–2000); Telsim (2000–01); Aria (2001–04); Avea (2004–09); Türk Telekom (2009–14); Huawei (2014–15), Dumankaya (2015–16), UNDP (2016), Nef (2016–19), Terra Pizza (2019–20) and Sixt (2020–) for domestic matches and since 2014 for international matches Turkish Airlines.


title: Galatasaray S.K. (football)

text: When Galatasaray were formed no Turkish teams had their own home ground, and all games in the Istanbul Football League took place at Papazın Çayırı – now the site of Fenerbahçe's Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium. In 1921 the city's first proper football stadium was constructed, Taksim Stadium, which was used as the home ground for all of Istanbul's teams. When historic Taksim Stadium was demolished in 1940, Galatasaray decided to build a large, modern stadium. Due to difficulties stemming from World War II, construction was delayed for over two decades. In this period, they played in Şeref Stadi and Dolmabahçe Stadi


title: Galatasaray S.K. (football)

text: On 20 December 1964, Ali Sami Yen Stadium opened. Named after the founder of Galatasaray, Ali Sami Yen, it is in the Mecidiyeköy quarter of the Şişli district at the center of the city. In 1964, the stadium had capacity over 35,000. Due to improvements in security and prohibition of non-seater spectators, the all-seater capacity reduced to 22,000 in 1993. A few years later, the rebuilt of main stand, which was damaged by an earthquake, slightly increased the capacity.


title: Galatasaray S.K. (football)

text: After 2002, when Atatürk Olympic Stadium was built for Istanbul's Olympic Games bid, Galatasaray started to play European Cup matches there. The attendance record among Turkish stadiums was broken there, in Galatasaray–Olympiacos match played in front of 79,414 spectators. Yet, Ali Sami Yen Stadium has historic importance for Galatasaray fans although it is smaller and older.


title: Galatasaray S.K. (football)

text: The new home ground of Galatasaray is the newly built Nef Stadium in the Seyrantepe area of Sarıyer. It is also known as Ali Samiyen Spor Kompleksi. The new stadium, which was opened 15 January 2011, has a capacity of 52,280 seats, making it the largest private stadium used by a club in Turkey.


title: Galatasaray S.K. (football)

text: Since 1992, after every goal scored by Galatasaray, the last part of the song "I Will Survive" by the Hermes House Band is played. Although the song is in English, the part used has no lyrics except "la la la la". In addition, before every game the Galatasaray War Chant is played accompanied by what the fans call a "scarf show" where fans display and wave their Galatasaray scarves, banners and flags. Many people call the Turk Telekom Stadium 'Cehennem' (hell) because of stadium anthems and the continuous roar of the fans.


title: Galatasaray S.K. (football)

text: Galatasaray fans attach high importance to European competitions, and Galatasaray is known as the "Conqueror of Europe" by their fans. This nickname underlines the importance of the UEFA Cup and Super Cup Galatasaray managed to win during the 1999–2000 season. Galatasaray fans also have a reputation in Europe as being one of the most fanatic in the world, along with ultrAslan. Ryan Giggs once said "<nowiki>I've never experienced anything like Galatasaray. Three hours before kick-off, we went out to have a look at the pitch and the stadium was overcrowded! The chanting was brilliant: one side starts, then the other, then quiet, then all of them chanting! The players really enjoyed it. Before it was good, after it wasn't for us.'</nowiki>"


title: Galatasaray S.K. (football)

text: Galatasaray fans broke the "loudest crowd roar at a sport stadium" record on 18 March 2011 at Galatasaray's new stadium Türk Telekom Stadium in Istanbul. A peak reading of 140.76 dBA was recorded.


title: Galatasaray S.K. (football)

text: The poll in June 2012 placed Galatasaray in the first place with a 41.8% level of popularity while Fenerbahçe S.K. comes second with a 35.9% level, Beşiktaş J.K. third with 16.3% and Trabzonspor fourth with 4.7%. The same result was announced in another poll dated September 2019 which included a sample of 7500 Turkish people.


title: Galatasaray S.K. (football)

text: "The big three" clubs of Istanbul – Beşiktaş, Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray – have a century-long history of rivalry. The Galatasaray–Fenerbahçe rivalry is the primary Istanbul derby and the most important rivalry in Turkish football. The rivalry poses a symbolic importance to supporters due to an assumed superiority that comes with winning the derby. Supporters are often quoted as stating that winning the league without winning the derby is hollow. There is always huge interest in the derby due to its fierce nature on and off the pitch. Many documentaries have been made about the derby including an episode of The Real Football Factories International. The rivalry has led to violence among supporters on numerous occasions, though this has been on the decline in recent years. The typical features of derby days include sell out stadiums, loud support throughout the match and taunting choreography displays by supporters before kick off. Other top level İstanbul derbies include the teams; İstanbul BB and Kasımpaşa although these teams pose a minor rivalry as the history and the nationwide attention to the derbies among the big three is unmatched.


title: Galatasaray S.K. (football)

text: Torches, smoke, drums, flags and giant posters are used to create visual grandeur and apply psychological pressure on visiting teams, which fans call "welcoming them to hell".


title: Galatasaray S.K. (football)

text: Galatasaray has one of the most successful youth facilities in Turkey. Gündüz Kılıç Youth Facilities in Florya is the center of the department. Galatasaray U21 have won the Turkish Youth League three times.


title: Galatasaray S.K. (football)

text: Galatasaray football academy trains children between seven and fifteen. They are located in 79 sites, in Turkey, Australia, Germany, Belgium and the UK.


title: Mary Kay Letourneau

text: Mary Katherine Fualaau ( Schmitz, formerly Letourneau; January 30, 1962July 6, 2020) was an American teacher who pleaded guilty in 1997 to two counts of felony second-degree rape of a child. The child was Vili Fualaau, who was 12 years old when sexual relations first occurred and had been her sixth-grade student at an elementary school in Burien, Washington. While awaiting sentencing, she gave birth to Fualaau's child. With the state seeking a seven-and-a-half-year prison sentence, she reached a plea agreement calling for six months in jail, with three months suspended, and no contact with Fualaau for life, among other terms. The case received national attention.


title: Mary Kay Letourneau

text: Shortly after Letourneau had completed three months in jail, the police caught her in a car with Fualaau. A judge revoked her plea agreement and reinstated the prison sentence for the maximum allowed by law of seven and a half years. Eight months after returning to prison, she gave birth to Fualaau's second child, another daughter. She was imprisoned from 1998 to 2004.


title: Mary Kay Letourneau

text: Letourneau and Fualaau were married in May 2005, and the marriage lasted 14 years until their separation in 2019.


title: Mary Kay Letourneau

text: Mary Katherine Schmitz was born in 1962 in Tustin, California, the daughter of Mary E. ( Suehr), a former chemist, and John G. Schmitz (1930–2001), a community college instructor and politician. She was known as Mary Kay to her family. She was the fourth of seven children, raised in a "strict Catholic household." When Letourneau was two years old, her father began a political career, and successfully ran as a Republican for a seat in the state legislature. He held positions as a California state senator and U.S. Congressman, winning a special election for an unexpired term in 1970, and the general election later that year. After a primary defeat in 1972, he changed parties and ran for president as an American Party candidate in the 1972 U.S. presidential election. In 1973, Letourneau's three-year-old brother drowned in the family pool at their home in the Spyglass Hill section of Corona del Mar, California, while she was playing with another brother in the shallow end.


title: Mary Kay Letourneau

text: Letourneau attended Cornelia Connelly High School, an all-girls' Catholic school in Anaheim, California, where she was a member of the cheerleading squad for Servite High School. She later attended Arizona State University.


title: Mary Kay Letourneau

text: In 1978, her father was re-elected as a Republican to the California State Senate. He intended to run for the U.S. Senate in 1982, but his political career was permanently damaged that year when it was revealed that he had fathered two children out of wedlock during an affair with a mistress, a former student at Santa Ana College, where he had taught political science. Her father's affair caused Letourneau's parents to separate, but they later reconciled.


title: Mary Kay Letourneau

text: Letourneau's brother, John Schmitz, was the deputy counsel to President George H. W. Bush. Her other brother, Joseph E. Schmitz, was Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Defense under President George W. Bush, as well as a senior executive with Academi, and was a foreign policy adviser to President Donald Trump.


title: Mary Kay Letourneau

text: While attending Arizona State University, Mary Schmitz met and married fellow student Steve Letourneau, and she conceived the first of four children with him. She later said that she was not in love with Steve, and married him after being urged to do so by her parents. The couple moved to Anchorage, Alaska, where Steve found work as a baggage handler for Alaska Airlines. After a year in Alaska, her husband was transferred to Seattle, Washington, and Mary gave birth to their second child. She graduated from Seattle University in 1989 with a teaching degree. She began teaching second grade at Shorewood Elementary School in the Seattle suburb of Burien.


title: Mary Kay Letourneau

text: The Letourneaus' marriage suffered; they had financial problems, and both parties engaged in extramarital affairs. Her attorney and former neighbor, David Gehrke, said that she was "emotionally and physically abused by her husband" during their marriage, and twice "went to the hospital for treatment, and police were called", although no charges were ever filed. While she was imprisoned in May 1999, they divorced, and he gained custody of their four children. In 2010, the Letourneaus became grandparents when their oldest son had a daughter.


title: Mary Kay Letourneau

text: Vili Fualaau (born June 26, 1983) was Letourneau's student in both his second-grade and sixth-grade classes at Shorewood Elementary. When Letourneau was 34, in the summer of 1996, her relationship with the 12-year-old<ref name="WDBJ_4/4/2002"></ref><ref name="People_7/8/2020"></ref> Fualaau turned from platonic to sexual. On June 18, 1996, police came upon her in a car with Fualaau in a marina parking lot. She was seen jumping into the front seat while Fualaau pretended to sleep in the back. She and Fualaau provided false names when asked for identification, and Fualaau lied about his age, saying that he was 18. Fualaau said that no touching had taken place. Letourneau said she and her husband had gotten into an argument, and that Fualaau, who she said was a family friend who had been staying with them that night, witnessed the argument and ran away upset. She said she left to find him. Letourneau and Fualaau were taken to the police station, where Fualaau's mother was called. The mother was asked what should be done. She said to return Fualaau to Letourneau. She later said that if the police had alerted her to the fact that Letourneau had lied about Fualaau's age and what had occurred in the car, she would not have allowed her son to go back to Letourneau. Letourneau was arrested on March 4, 1997, after a relative of her husband contacted the police.


title: Mary Kay Letourneau

text: Letourneau pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree child rape. Her first child with Fualaau, a daughter, was born on May 29, 1997, while she was awaiting sentencing. The state sought to sentence her to six and a half years in prison. Through a plea agreement, her sentence was reduced to six months (three of which were suspended) in the county jail and three years of sex offender treatment. She was not required initially to register as a sex offender. As part of her plea agreement, Letourneau could not contact Fualaau or her five children or have contact with any other minors. She became the subject of an international tabloid scandal and experienced symptoms of degraded mental health according to acquaintances.


title: Mary Kay Letourneau

text: On February 3, 1998, two weeks after completing her jail sentence, Letourneau was found by police in a car with Fualaau near her home. Letourneau initially said she was alone in the car. She and Fualaau provided false names when asked for identification. Although it was reported that sexual intercourse had occurred in the car, Fualaau told a detective that he and Letourneau had kissed frequently and that he had touched Letourneau on the thigh, but that no sexual intercourse had occurred. There was evidence the two had met several times since Letourneau's release from jail on January 2. When she was arrested, police found $6,200 in cash, baby clothes, and her passport inside the car. Receipts for $850 in purchases made since January 20 for men's, young men's, and infant clothing were also found. Letourneau said that the money was for dermatology treatments and for her divorce lawyer and that some of the men's clothing were gifts for relatives and for herself since she enjoyed wearing oversized men's clothing.


title: Mary Kay Letourneau

text: In February 1998, the judge revoked Letourneau's prior plea agreement and reinstated the prison sentence of seven and a half years for violating the no-contact order. In interviews and in a book on her involvement with Fualaau, Letourneau said she had sex with Fualaau in January. Police said they had seen no evidence that sex had occurred in the car in February. Letourneau served her sentence in the Washington Corrections Center for Women.


title: Mary Kay Letourneau

text: While serving her second stint in jail, Letourneau gave birth to her second daughter by Fualaau on October 16, 1998. That year, Letourneau and Fualaau co-authored a book, which was published in France, called "Only One Crime, Love" (). In 1999, a second book appeared, published in the United States, but written with only minimal cooperation from her and none from Fualaau: "If Loving You Is Wrong". During her imprisonment, Letourneau was allowed visits from her children but was denied permission to attend her father's funeral. While in prison, Letourneau tutored fellow inmates, created audio books for blind readers, participated in the prison choir and "rarely missed Mass." Because of her notoriety, Letourneau was unpopular with other inmates; she "sassed guards and balked at work" and, reportedly as punishment for this, spent "18 of her first 24 months" in solitary confinement. In one instance, Letourneau served six months in solitary when letters she tried to send to Fualaau were intercepted.


title: Mary Kay Letourneau

text: Fualaau dropped out of high school and his mother was granted custody of his two children. He struggled with suicidal depression and alcoholism, attempting suicide in March 1999. In 2002, Fualaau's family sued the Highline School District and the city of Des Moines, Washington, for emotional suffering, lost wages, and the costs of rearing his two children, claiming the school and the Des Moines Police Department had failed to protect him from Letourneau. Following a ten-week trial, no damages were awarded. Attorney Anne Bremner represented the Des Moines Police Department. Her counterpart Michael Patterson represented the Highline School District.


title: Mary Kay Letourneau

text: Letourneau was released from prison to a community placement program on August 4, 2004, and registered the following day with the King County Sheriff's Office as a level 2 sex offender.


title: Mary Kay Letourneau

text: Following Letourneau's release, Fualaau, then age 21, persuaded the court to reverse the no-contact order against her. Letourneau and Fualaau married on May 20, 2005, in the city of Woodinville, Washington, in a ceremony at the Columbia Winery. Exclusive access to the wedding was given to the television show "Entertainment Tonight", and photographs were released through other media outlets. Letourneau said she planned to have another child and return to the teaching profession; she indicated that by law she was permitted to teach at private schools and community colleges.


title: Mary Kay Letourneau

text: Attorney Anne Bremner, who met and befriended Letourneau in 2002 during Fualaau's civil suit, said that Letourneau considered her relationship with Fualaau to be "eternal and endless". According to Bremner, "Nothing could have kept the two of them apart." In a 2006 interview with NBC News, "[Letourneau] concede[d] she knew it would be wrong to let the relationship go any further, but she says as soon as the school year ended, she and Vili did cross that line." She said that "it did not cross her mind" at the time that having sex with Fualaau would be a crime. In a later interview, she stated, "If someone had told me, if anyone had told me, there is a specific law that says this is a crime, I did not know. I've said this over and over again. Had I'd known, if anyone knows my personality. Just the idea, this would count as a crime." The television series "Barbara Walters Presents American Scandals" covered the case in December 2015. Host Barbara Walters interviewed the couple about their relationship and their two daughters.


title: Mary Kay Letourneau

text: On May 9, 2017, after almost 12 years of marriage, Fualaau filed for separation from Letourneau, but he later withdrew the filing.


title: Mary Kay Letourneau

text: As of April 2018, Fualaau was working at a home improvement store and as a professional DJ and Letourneau was working as a legal assistant. An article in "People" quoted an insider source who said, "They know what everyone thinks about their relationship ... And they don't care. They really never have. The wrong stuff that happened was so long ago. They are two grown adults who are living their lives now."


title: Mary Kay Letourneau

text: The couple finalized a legal separation in August 2019. Earlier in the marriage, Vili Fualaau said he was not a victim, and was unashamed of the relationship. According to "People" in May 2020, an unnamed source "close to Fualaau" said that, "He sees things clearly now, and realizes that this wasn't a healthy relationship from the start."


title: Mary Kay Letourneau

text: Letourneau died at 58 from colorectal cancer on July 6, 2020, at her home in Des Moines, Washington. Fualaau and her family were at her side despite their separation. In her will and testament, Letourneau left much of her estate to Fualaau.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: Franck Henry Pierre Ribéry (; born 7 April 1983) is a French former professional footballer who primarily played as a winger, preferably on the left side, and was known for his pace, energy, skill, and precise passing. Ribéry has been described as a player who is fast, tricky and an excellent dribbler, who has great control with the ball at his feet. While with Bayern, he was recognised on the world stage as one of the best players of his generation. The previous talisman of the French national team, Zinedine Zidane, once referred to Ribéry as the "jewel of French football".


title: Franck Ribéry

text: 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 clubs (Alès and Brest), Ribéry earned a move to Ligue 1 club Metz in 2004. After six months with the club, Ribéry moved to Turkey in January 2005 to join 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.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: In 2007, Ribéry joined German club Bayern Munich for a then club-record fee of €25 million. With Bayern, he won nine Bundesliga titles (at the time a Bundesliga record), six DFB-Pokal, one UEFA Champions League and one FIFA Club World Cup, which include five doubles and one treble, amounting to a then club record of 24 titles over twelve seasons. His form for Bayern in the club's 2012–13 treble winning season saw him nominated alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo on the three-man shortlist for the 2013 FIFA Ballon d'Or. During his long spell at Bayern, Ribéry was also known for his fruitful partnership with fellow winger Arjen Robben—together they were affectionately referred to by the nickname "Robbery". He left Bayern in summer 2019, and subsequently joined Italian side Fiorentina, while Robben retired from football.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: Between 2006 and 2014, Ribéry represented the France national team 81 times. He played at two FIFA World Cups (2006 and 2010) and two UEFA European Championships (2008 and 2012). Individually, Ribéry is a three-time winner of the French Player of the Year award and also won the German award of 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. In 2013, Ribéry won the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. In 2013, he was also ranked fourth in "The Guardian"'s list of the best players in the world.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: He is currently in charge as a technical collaborator of Italian Serie A club Salernitana, which was also his final club as a player.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: Ribéry was born on 7 April 1983 in Boulogne-sur-Mer, Pas-de-Calais and raised in a low-income neighbourhood on the fringes of the city. When he was two years old, he and his family were involved in a car accident in his hometown, colliding with a lorry; he suffered serious facial injuries that resulted in more than one hundred stitches and which left two long scars down the right side of his face, and another across his brows. Prior to joining Stade Brestois in 2003, he worked as a construction worker with his father, which Ribéry referred to as a "learning experience".


title: Franck Ribéry

text: Ribéry began his football career at age six playing in the youth section of amateur club "FC Conti de Boulogne-sur-Mer". 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 behavioural problems, which led to Lille releasing him. In 2012, during a press conference ahead of Bayern Munich's Champions League tie against his former club Lille, Ribéry explained that he was released from the Lille academy after suffering a broken elbow and that Lille officials had previously wanted to drop him from the academy for being "too small".


title: Franck Ribéry

text: 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. In his second season with the club, Ribéry appeared in 25 league matches converting five goals. Although 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. In his only season at the club, Ribéry made 18 appearances scoring only one goal.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: 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. 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. Ribéry's performance and the team as a whole led to the club finishing second in the league, thus earning promotion to Ligue 2.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: Despite his success with Brest, Ribéry sought to play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. His dream came to fruition when Metz's manager Jean Fernandez took a liking to him and recruited him on a free transfer. 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. His stellar play on the right side of midfield led to Metz supporters comparing him to Robert Pires, a former Metz player. After negotiations on an extension ended in a stalemate, Ribéry relocated to Turkey. There he joined Galatasaray, signing a three-and-a-half-year contract on 1 February 2005.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: At Galatasaray, Ribéry was brought in by manager Gheorghe Hagi and appeared in 14 league matches as the club finished in third-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. 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.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: On 15 June 2005, Ribéry announced that he would be returning to France joining Ligue 1 club Marseille on a five-year contract, plus 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. 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. 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.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: 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.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: 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. On 17 September, he scored his first goal for the club in their 2–1 victory over Troyes. Two weeks later, Ribéry netted goals in back-to-back matches in victories over his former club Metz and Nice. On 19 November, Ribéry scored the game-winning goal in a 2–1 win over Nantes. The goal, scored from almost out, was later voted the goal of the season by supporters.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: 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.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: 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. 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. Diouf later threatened to report Aulas to the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) for his actions. He went as far as to accuse Ribéry's former agent, Bruno Heiderscheid, of badly advising the player. Marseille continued to declare him off-limits with nearly four years remaining on Ribéry's contract. On 11 August 2006, Ribéry confirmed his intention to remain with the club for the 2006–07 season.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: 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 victory. On 11 November 2006, Ribéry suffered a serious groin injury in Marseille's 1–0 loss to Lille. 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. The following month, Ribéry suffered a fractured foot in a match against Toulouse. 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.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: 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 favourites 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. The victory secured second 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 honour ended the four-year reign of Thierry Henry.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: 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. 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. He made his team debut 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. In the semifinals, he netted an early goal in a 2–0 win over defending champions VfB Stuttgart. Due to an injury, Ribéry was unable to play in the final, which Bayern won.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: 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. 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 VfL Bochum. 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 VfL Wolfsburg. In the German Cup, he recorded two goals and provided four assists in five matches Bayern 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. In the semi-finals, Ribéry scored the opening goal in Bayern's 2–0 win over Wolfsburg, which resulted in the club qualifying for the final against Borussia Dortmund. In the DFB-Pokal final, Ribéry assisted on Luca Toni's opener in the 11th minute in a match Bayern won 2–1, thus claiming their 14th cup title.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: 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 quarter-finals. 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 Footballer of the Year (Germany). He was also named French Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: Due to tearing ligaments in his ankle at Euro 2008, Ribéry began the season with Bayern on 24 September 2008 in a DFB-Pokal match against 1. FC Nürnberg, appearing as a substitute in the 65th minute. 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 VfL Wolfsburg. Following the match, Ribéry scored 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 providing assists on the other two in Bayern's 3–2 victory over Lyon in the Champions League. For his performances throughout 2008, Ribéry finished third behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi for the Onze d'Or. He was shortlisted by the French magazine "France Football" for the 2008 Ballon d'Or award, won by Cristiano Ronaldo.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: Ribéry's 2009 debut saw Bayern earn a 5–1 German Cup win over VfB Stuttgart, with the player scoring and also providing an assist. On 24 February 2009, he scored a double in the club's 5–0 win over Sporting CP in the first leg of their Round of 16 clash. 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 in a 1–1 draw at the Allianz. 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 providing 19 assists.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: 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 Inter Milan had strong interest in the player, with many of the clubs willing to offer as much as €65 million for his services. In order to quell the interest, Hoeneß declared that Ribéry would leave for nothing less than €100 million.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: Ribéry began 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 rivals Borussia Dortmund, converting a free kick. The goal was notable in part due to Ribéry's celebration afterward; following his conversion, Ribéry ran across the field eluding several celebratory teammates and enthusiastically jumped into his manager Louis van Gaal's awaiting arms. The mutual show of admiration ended speculation by the media of the two having a poor relationship. 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.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: On 23 January 2010, Ribéry returned to the team, making an appearance as a substitute in the club's 3–2 league win over Werder Bremen. 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. On 31 March, he scored the equalising goal in Bayern's 2–1 first leg win over English club Manchester United in the Champions League quarter-finals after converting a free kick, which deflected off of striker Wayne Rooney before going into the net. In the club's ensuing match, Ribéry scored the opening goal in the team's 2–1 victory over Schalke 04.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: On 20 April, Ribéry was sent off by referee Roberto Rosetti in the club's first leg Champions League semi-final against Lyon after being adjudged to have committed serious foul play on Lyon striker Lisandro López. The expulsion resulted in Ribéry missing the second leg in Lyon, which Bayern won to advance to the UEFA Champions League final. On 28 April, Ribéry was handed a three-match suspension by UEFA's Control and Disciplinary Body for assault. The suspension meant that Ribéry would miss the final. Following the ruling, Bayern Munich announced their intent to appeal the suspension. On 5 May, the club's appeal was heard by the UEFA Appeals Body, which upheld Ribéry's ban meaning he would not only miss the final on 22 May, but also the next UEFA club competition fixture for which he is eligible. Immediately after the ruling, however, Bayern responded by announcing their intention of appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: 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 Milan on 22 May. Bayern Munich lost the match 2–0. On 20 May, it was announced by German newspaper "Bild" that Ribéry had agreed to a new five-year contract with Bayern Munich and would sign the contract upon his arrival in Madrid to watch his teammates contest the Champions League final. On 23 May, the day after the final, the club officially confirmed the agreement. The new deal tied 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.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: 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 first round of the DFB-Pokal. In the match, Ribéry scored his first goal of the season. Four days later, he assisted on the game-winning goal, scored by Bastian Schweinsteiger, in the team's opening league match against VfL Wolfsburg. On 21 September, Ribéry was forced to leave the team's 2–1 win over 1899 Hoffenheim after suffering an ankle injury. The injury was discovered to be serious and Ribéry was ruled out for four weeks.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: Despite the initial diagnosis, Ribéry missed two months and returned to the team on 14 November in a league match against 1. FC Nürnberg. A week later, Ribéry was criticised by manager Louis van Gaal for his performance in a friendly match against SpVgg Unterhaching, which was organised 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." 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. On 8 December, Ribéry scored a double in a 3–0 victory over Swiss club Basel in the Champions League.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: 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 Brazilian midfielder Josué. Initial media reports described the injury as serious with Ribéry possibly having to undergo surgery to repair torn ligaments. After further medical analysis, however, the injury was only reduced to a sprain and Ribéry subsequently missed two weeks. He returned to the team on 5 February in a league match against 1. FC Köln. On 12 February, Ribéry assisted on two goals in a 4–0 win over 1899 Hoffenheim.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: Following the team's 3–1 league win over Mainz 05 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 against rivals Borussia Dortmund. In the next match, against Hannover 96, he repeated his feat from the previous match assisted on an Arjen Robben goal in another defeat. 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. In Bayern's following match against SC Freiburg, he assisted on the team's opening goal, scored by Mario Gómez, and then netted the game-winning goal two minutes from time in a 2–1 win. Against Borussia Mönchengladbach on 2 April, Ribéry assisted on the only goal of the match, which was converted by Robben. The streak ended in the team's 1–1 draw with 1. FC Nürnberg on 11 April. Six days later, Ribéry scored the final goal in a 5–1 sweeping of Bayer Leverkusen.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: 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. Despite the player himself fearing he may have torn ligaments in the ankle, after an examination, club doctors revealed that the injury was not as serious as first thought, and Ribéry missed only one competitive match, a 3–0 DFB-Pokal away win over Eintracht Braunschweig on 1 August 2011. 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. In the following week, he assisted on the game-winning goal, scored by Luiz Gustavo, in a win over VfL Wolfsburg. Ribéry scored his first goal of the campaign in the team's next league match against Hamburger SV. 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. A week later, Ribéry assisted on both team goals in a shutout win over Schalke 04.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: Following the October international break, Ribéry manufactured another statistical output after scoring and assisting on two goals in a 4–0 win over Hertha BSC. On 29 October, he scored the game-winning goal in a 2–1 win over FC Augsburg. 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. On 3 December, Ribéry scored another set of goals in a 4–1 win against Werder Bremen. The league win re-inserted Bayern back into first-place position in the league after momentarily losing the spot in late November. 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. The goal resulted in Ribéry scoring in every official competition Bayern Munich has participated in since he joined the club in 2007.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: On 26 February, Ribéry scored two goals in a shutout win over Schalke 04. Two weeks later, in a 7–1 thrashing of 1899 Hoffenheim, he scored another goal and assisted on goals scored by Toni Kroos, Arjen Robben and Mario Gómez. In the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal, Ribéry scored the second goal in the team's 4–2 extra time win over Borussia Mönchengladbach. The win took Bayern Munich to its 18th German Cup final. 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 Champions League. 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 Arjen Robben. The report stated that "a clear-the-air meeting was held" and Ribéry was "said to have apologized and accepted a fine for his actions". In the team's ensuing match against Werder Bremen, Ribéry appeared as a substitute and scored the game-winning goal in the 90th minute. On 12 May 2012, Ribéry scored in the 2012 DFB-Pokal Final, as Bayern lost 5–2 against rivals Borussia Dortmund. 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 shootout.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: Ribéry started the 2012–13 season by winning the 2012 DFL-Supercup against Borussia Dortmund on 12 August 2012. He scored two goals in a 2–0 victory over Hoffenheim on 6 October. Ribery scored a late minute goal against BATE Borisov in the Champions League, but the match ended a 3–1 loss for Bayern. On 20 October, Ribery provided hat-trick of assists in a 5–0 win over Fortuna Düsseldorf. On 18 December, Ribéry was shown a straight red card after slapping Augsburg's midfielder Koo Ja-cheol during the DFB Pokal round of 16 match, but that did not stop his side from winning the match 2–0. He was given two-match suspension in the Pokal causing him to miss the quarter-final match against Borussia Dortmund and the semi-final match against VFL Wolfsburg even though his side won both of the matches and made it through to the final.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: Ribéry also won the Champions League with Bayern Munich in an all-German final against Dortmund. He provided the assist to Arjen Robben who then scored the match-winning goal in the Champions League final. He completed the continental treble with Bayern after also winning the 2012–13 Bundesliga and 2013 DFB-Pokal against VfB Stuttgart. Ribéry also had the most assists with 15 assists in the Bundesliga.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: On 10 August 2013, Ribéry provided one assist to his teammate Arjen Robben in their first Bundesliga game of the season as they won the game with a 3–1 victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach. Ribéry scored his first header in a 2–0 victory over 1. FC Nürnberg on 24 August. On 29 August, Ribéry won the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. On 30 August, Ribéry scored a 47th-minute goal against Chelsea in the 2013 UEFA Super Cup as his side won the UEFA Super Cup title for the first time in their club's history after winning in the penalty shoot-out.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: On 21 December, Ribéry was awarded the Golden Ball for being the best player of the tournament after his side won the FIFA Club World Cup title for the first time in club's history by beating Raja Casablanca 2–0 victory in the final. On 13 January 2014, he placed third in the 2013 FIFA Ballon d'Or, behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. On 7 February, Ribéry suffered burst blood vessel in his buttock which kept him out of the pitch for two weeks. On 25 March, he scored in a 3–1 win over Hertha BSC as Bayern were confirmed as Bundesliga champions.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: On 18 October 2014, Ribéry made his return after suffering from a knee injury as a substitute in the 61st minute in a 6–0 home victory over Werder Bremen. Ribéry scored each goal in both the matches against A.S. Roma in the UEFA Champions League group stage, Bayern won 7–1 in the first match and 2–0 in the second match. He made an impressive performance and scored a goal in his first start for the club since April 2014 in a 3–1 victory over Hamburger SV in the DFB-Pokal on 30 October. Ribéry scored his 100th goal for Bayern and the only goal of the match in 1–0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen on 6 December. The goal happened in his 287th competitive match for Bayern. In January 2015, he suffered another injury which was muscle injury in training and missed only three matches against VfL Wolfsburg, Schalke 04 and VfB Stuttgart. On 27 March, Ribéry then suffered an ankle injury in a 7–0 home victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Champions League 2nd leg match of the Round of 16 tie and was sidelined for the remaining of the season. He scored nine goals and provided seven assists in this season.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: On 2 December 2015, Ribéry trained with the first team for the first time since his injury in March 2015. On 5 December, he made his first appearance since his ankle injury as a substitute coming in for Robert Lewandowski and also scored a goal after six minutes of his appearance, but that didn't stop Bayern from losing 3–1 to Borussia Mönchengladbach. It was also his 300th competitive appearance for Bayern Munich. He made his 200th Bundesliga appearance in a 1–0 win over 1. FC Köln on 19 March 2016. On 2 April, Ribéry scored a bicycle kick goal for Bayern Munich to beat Eintracht Frankfurt with a 1–0 victory. He finished the season with two goals and three assists.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: Ribéry extended his contract with Bayern Munich by another year to June 2018, on 27 November 2016. On 17 September, Ribéry was involved in all Bayern's goal as he provided three assists to Robert Lewandowski, Xabi Alonso and Rafinha's goals to beat FC Ingolstadt 04 with a 3–1 victory. In the middle of the season, he suffered a thigh injury which kept him out from the pitch for almost four weeks. He made his comeback in a 3–0 DFB-Pokal quarter-final victory over Schalke 04 on 2 March 2017. Ribéry scored five goals and provided seventeen assists in this season.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: Ribéry started the season by winning the DFL-Supercup as Bayern defeated their arch-rival Borussia Dortmund 5–4 on penalties. On 1 October 2017, he sustained a knee injury in a 2–2 draw to Hertha BSC. On 2 December, Ribéry made his return to the pitch in a 3–1 victory over Hannover 96 and made a record for Bayern Munich's most Bundesliga appearances by a non-German with 235th appearance, overtaking former Bayern player and current sporting director Hasan Salihamidžić who had 234 appearances. He made another record of most competitive appearances by any non-German player for Bayern with 366 appearances in a 1–0 victory over 1. FC Köln, surpassing Hasan Salihamidžić's 365 appearances. Ribéry scored twice in a 6–0 home victory over Hamburger SV on 10 March 2018. On 7 May 2018, Ribéry again extended his contract with Bayern, until June 2019. He ended the season with six goals and five assists.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: Ribéry played his first competitive match of the season and won the DFL-Supercup as Bayern defeated Eintracht Frankfurt with a 5–0 victory. On 1 September, Ribéry made his 250th Bundesliga appearance in a 3–0 victory over VfB Stuttgart. On 27 November, Ribéry scored his first goal of the season in a 5–1 win against Benfica in the Champions League.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: On 5 May 2019, Bayern Munich announced that Ribéry would be leaving the club at the end of the season, with a testimonial match set for 2020. On 18 May 2019, Ribéry won his ninth Bundesliga title with Bayern. With his ninth Bundesliga title, Ribéry became Bundesliga's all-time record champion (since surpassed by David Alaba and Thomas Müller). On 25 May 2019, Ribéry won his sixth DFB-Pokal as Bayern defeated RB Leipzig 3–0 in the 2019 DFB-Pokal Final. Ribéry came on as a substitute in the 87th minute and made history as this was his eighth DFB-Pokal final appearance. No other player has played in as many DFB-Pokal finals. Ribéry finished his career at Bayern with a club record 24 titles.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: In August 2019, Ribéry signed with Italian side Fiorentina on a free transfer. He made his debut for the club on 24 August, coming on as a late substitute in a 4–3 home loss to Napoli in the opening game of the 2019–20 Serie A season. He scored his first goal for the club in a 2–2 away draw against Atalanta on 22 September. In October 2019, he received a three-match ban after pushing a match official.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: On 6 September 2021, Ribéry signed for Salernitana, agreeing a one-year contract with an automatical renewal in case the club succeeded to keep its Serie A status by the end of the season. Appointed as team captain, Ribéry played only a total of 23 league games due to recurring injuries.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: As Salernitana escaped relegation by the final day of the season, Ribéry's contract was automatically extended by one more year. In the following 2022–23 season, Ribéry only managed to play 36 minutes in a game against Roma as he regularly struggled with a recurring knee injury, thus leading to rumours regarding his possible immediate retirement.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: On 20 October 2022, Ribéry terminated his contract with Salernitana and announced his retirement, but agreed to stay at the club as a technical collaborator to head coach Davide Nicola.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: 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. Ribéry scored his first under-21 goal five days later in a 1–0 friendly win over Slovakia. 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. 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.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: 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 Trezeguet. 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. He 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 Trezeguet.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: Following the retirement of Zinedine Zidane, it was expected that Ribéry would succeed him and become the national team's talisman. 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 died a day earlier. 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. Ribéry returned to the team on 11 October 2008 in a FIFA World Cup qualification match against Romania, scoring the team's opening goal in a 2–2 draw. On 28 March 2009, Ribéry scored the lone goal away to Lithuania. 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.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: On 11 May 2010, Ribéry was named to Domenech's 30-man preliminary squad to participate in the 2010 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 criticised for his performance by former international Just Fontaine, who questioned Ribéry's leadership ability. It was later reported by the media that Ribéry and striker Nicolas Anelka purposely "froze-out" midfielder Yoann Gourcuff. 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.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: On 20 June, an emotional Ribéry appeared alongside Domenech on TF1's football show "Téléfoot" to dispel rumours associated with the team and to also apologise to supporters for the national team's performance over the past two years, stating, "We [France] are suffering at the moment," and, "I would like to say sorry to the whole country." The following day, the team boycotted a training session in response to Anelka's expulsion and, on 21 June, returned to training without incident. 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, however, 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 (FFF) in response to the team's strike held at the World Cup. On 17 August, he received a three-match international ban for his part in the incident. Ribéry did not attend the hearing due to his parent club's objection.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: On 17 March 2011, Ribéry was called up to the national team by new manager Laurent Blanc for the first time since the 2010 World Cup. He had been eligible to return to the team since October 2010 after serving his three-match suspension, but due to injuries, Ribéry missed three call-ups. On 21 March, after arriving to Clairefontaine ahead of the team's matches against Luxembourg and Croatia, Ribéry attended a personal press conference in which he apologised for his behaviour overall during the 2010 calendar year. He made his return to the team on 25 March in the team's match against Luxembourg and responded by assisting on the team's second goal, scored by Yoann Gourcuff, in its 2–0 win. In his first match at the Stade de France since his participation at the World Cup, against Croatia, Ribéry appeared as a substitute and was subject to jeers from some section of supporters, though other parts of the stadium chanted his name.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: After appearing regularly in qualifying for UEFA Euro 2012, on 29 May 2012, Ribéry was named to the squad to participate in the competition. Two days prior, he scored his first goal for France in over three years in a 3–2 friendly comeback win over Iceland. On 31 May, Ribéry scored the game-winning goal in a 2–0 win against Serbia. Four days later, he capped off the trio of lead-in friendly matches ahead of the European Championship by scoring the opening goal in a 4–0 shutout win over Estonia.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: Ribéry was included in France's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, but on 6 June, coach Didier Deschamps confirmed that he would miss the tournament through injury. Shortly afterwards, in August 2014 Ribéry retired from international football. He cited the reasons for his retirement as "purely personal".


title: Franck Ribéry

text: Ribéry primarily played as a winger and was described as a player who was "fast, tricky, and an excellent dribbler who had great control with the ball at his feet". Despite being predominantly right-footed and utilised as a right-sided midfielder during his development years in France, since establishing himself as an international and at Bayern Munich, Ribéry personally admitted that his preference was to play on the left wing, even going as far as to state, "My place is on the left" when asked at a February 2010 media session while on international duty. Although he was often played on the left wing domestically, Ribéry struggled to establish himself as a left winger at the international level with France due to the presence of left-footed dominant players such as Florent Malouda. Ribéry declared that he was best utilised on the left side because "that is where I am most free and I am the best in my head". Playing on the left also allowed Ribéry to use his "bursts of acceleration and weaving runs" to effectively cut inside, which allowed him to take on opponents, exploit spaces, and give him the options of either shooting on goal with his stronger foot or delivering a decisive pass. Ribéry was also capable of playing in the centre of the field as an attacking midfielder, where his vision, precise passing, technique, and playmaking skills were best exhibited; he was also deployed as a central midfielder on occasion. Despite predominantly playing on the wing, Ribéry was known to be an excellent assist provider: during his twelve seasons with Bayern Munich, he amassed 124 assists in the Bundesliga; moreover, he averaged double-digits in assists every year beginning with his final season at Marseille. In addition to his skills, eye for goal, and playing ability, he also drew praise in the media over his defensive work-rate, tenacity, mentality, and energetic playing style.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: Ribéry was described as a provocateur on the field of play, with UEFA referring to him as "a crowd-pleaser – one of those rare breed of footballer capable of enjoying his talents while expressing them", due to his trickery, artistry, and creativity on the ball. During the 2006 World Cup, he was mentored by national team playmaker Zinedine Zidane. While boasting him as "the jewel of French football", Zidane also praised Ribéry as a person, declaring, "Franck just loves life. He's the kind of player that makes an impression every time he plays. He’s bound to become an important figure in the world of football."


title: Franck Ribéry

text: Ribéry's on-field personality was often matched off-field as he was often referred to as a "joker" and "prankster" by club and international teammates. The midfielder has stated that humour is very important, admitting, "It's important to always be smiling, to wake up and feel good. We (footballers) have a great job, we like what we do and we have fun." His more notable stunts include driving a tractor on field during one of his last matches with Marseille; in his debut season with Bayern, emptying a bucket of water over former club goalkeeper Oliver Kahn from the roof of the club's training centre; and, during the 2008–09 winter break, commandeering the team bus while in Dubai and crashing it.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: Ribéry, however, also struggled with injuries throughout his career. Since his first season at Bayern in which he appeared in 46 of the club's 54 competitive matches, Ribéry struggled with minor and serious injuries that resulted in the player failing to appear in over 40 matches in subsequent seasons; the midfielder passed the 40-match barrier in the 2011–12 season after failing to in the previous three campaigns. Ahead of the 2008–09 season, he tore ligaments in one of his ankles while on international duty and, during the 2009–10 season, struggled with tendinitis in his left knee. In the next season, Ribéry suffered an ankle injury, which resulted in the midfielder missing two months, despite the initial diagnosis ruling him out for four weeks. He later suffered a similar ankle injury at the start of the 2011–12 season. Ribéry, himself, has admitted that injuries led to most of his five-year career at Bayern being difficult, stating in July 2011, "The last two years (2009–10 and 2010–11 seasons) have been more difficult, partly because I kept picking up injuries. The important thing for me now is to avoid any more injuries".


title: Franck Ribéry

text: Ribéry's younger brothers, François and Steeven, are also football players. François played for many amateur clubs in France, among others for Bayonne in the Championnat National. Steeven played for Bayern's reserve team for two years.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: Ribéry's wife, Wahiba, is a French national of Algerian descent and the couple have three daughters named Hiziya, Shahinez and Keltoum Chérifa, and two sons named Seif el Islam and Mohammed. Ribéry is a convert to Islam, following which, he adopted the name Bilal Yusuf Mohammed.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: Since establishing himself as an international, Ribéry has been involved in numerous promotional campaigns. He is sponsored by American sportswear company Nike and regularly wears Nike Mercurial Vapors. He appeared in several television advertisements for Nike and, during the 2007–08 Bundesliga season, starred in a one-off television show called "The Franck Ribéry Show", which aired on Direct 8 in France. The show, sponsored by Nike, acted as a variety show with Ribéry appearing in several sketches. Ribéry features in EA Sports' "FIFA" video game series. For the 2008–09 season, he appeared on the French cover of "FIFA 09" alongside international teammate Karim Benzema, and was the ninth-highest rated player in "FIFA 15".


title: Franck Ribéry

text: On 25 May 2010, a billboard of Ribéry was officially unveiled in his home city of Boulogne-sur-Mer ahead of the 2010 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. The construction of the billboard was initially suspended due to possible image ramifications associated with Ribéry's alleged relationship with an underage prostitute.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: 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 2010 World Cup. More recently, he was one of several international superstars featured in Nike's "The Last Game", a five-minute animated ad made during the run-up to the 2014 World Cup that went viral.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: He appeared in the music video for "Même pas fatigué !!!" by Magic System and Khaled. The single released in 2009 stayed seven weeks at number one in SNEP French Singles Chart.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: 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 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". Later that day, the players were discovered to be Ribéry and Sidney Govou. During his interview with Dando, Ribéry reportedly admitted to having had a relationship with a prostitute, but did not know that she was a minor at the time the relationship began.


title: Franck Ribéry

text: On 29 April 2010, 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. 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 World Cup. 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". 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, identified as Zahia Dehar, was 16 years old when they had paid to have sex with her.


title: Guinea-Bissau

text: Guinea-Bissau ( ; ; ; Mandinka: "Gine-Bisawo"), officially the Republic of Guinea-Bissau ( ), is a country in West Africa that covers with an estimated population of 1,726,000. It borders Senegal to the north and Guinea to the south-east.


title: Guinea-Bissau

text: Guinea-Bissau was once part of the kingdom of Kaabu, as well as part of the Mali Empire. Parts of this kingdom persisted until the 18th century, while a few others were under some rule by the Portuguese Empire since the 16th century. In the 19th century, it was colonised as Portuguese Guinea. Portuguese control was restricted and weak until the early 20th century with the pacification campaigns, these campaigns solidified Portuguese sovereignty in the area. The final Portuguese victory over the remaining bastion of mainland resistance, the Papel ruled Kingdom of Bissau in 1915 by the Portuguese military office Teixeira Pinto, and recruited Wolof mercenary Abdul injai was the event to solidify mainland control. The Bissagos, Islands off the coast of Guinea Bissau were officially conquered in 1936, ensuring Portuguese control of both the mainland and islands off of the region. Upon independence, declared in 1973 and recognised in 1974, the name of its capital, Bissau, was added to the country's name to prevent confusion with Guinea (formerly French Guinea). Guinea-Bissau has a history of political instability since independence, and only one elected president (José Mário Vaz) has successfully served a full five-year term. The current president is Umaro Sissoco Embaló, who was elected on 29 December 2019.


title: Guinea-Bissau

text: Only about 2% of the population speaks Portuguese, the official language, as a first language, and 33% speak it as a second language. However, Guinea-Bissau Creole, a Portuguese-based creole, is the national language and also considered the language of unity. According to a 2012 study, 54% of the population speak Creole as a first language and about 40% speak it as a second language. The remainder speak a variety of native African languages. The nation is home to numerous followers of Islam, Christianity and traditional faiths, though no single religious group represents a majority of the population. The country's per-capita gross domestic product is one of the lowest in the world.


title: Guinea-Bissau

text: Guinea-Bissau is a member of the United Nations, African Union, Economic Community of West African States, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Community of Portuguese Language Countries, Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, and the South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone, and was a member of the now-defunct Latin Union.


title: Guinea-Bissau

text: Archaeology has insufficiently explained the Guinea-Bissau pre-history. In 1000 AD, there were hunter-gatherers in the area, hundreds of thousands of years after they traversed the rest of Africa. This was shortly followed, in the archaeological record, by agriculturists using iron tools.


title: Guinea-Bissau

text: Guinea Bissau has always been connected to the interior, trade routes connected Guinea Bissau to the Sudanese states (p. 18). Megaliths discovered in Guinea Bissau sharing similarity with rock paintings in the Sahara detailed with horses and camels, and ancient gold workings (p. 19).


title: Guinea-Bissau

text: The population originated from the interior, pushed coastal by the Sudanese states (p.19, 25). The oldest inhabitants of were the Jolas, Papels, Manjaks, Balantas, Biafadas, and Bijagos later on the Mandinka and Fulani migrated into the region (p. 20). The Mandinka migrated in mass around the 13th century, result of the invasion and incorporation of Senegambia into the Mali Empire by General Tiramakhan Troare, also responsible for the establishment of Kaabu as a province of Mali. A small number of Mandinka were present in the region as early as the 11th century with hunters, fishermen, and traders migrating into the Senegambia. Accepted by the locals and beginning a process of 'Mandinkization' (p. 6). The Fulani arrived as early as the 12th century as semi-nomadic herders, in the 15th century their population increased.


title: Guinea-Bissau

text: The Papels inhabited the Biombo region, Balanta the Oio region, Manjaks the Cacheu region, Mandinka overlap in north east Oio but are mainly in the Bafata region, Biafada the Quinara region, Bijagos the Bijagos, and Fulani in Gabu, though Mandinka and Fulani overlap with each other. (p. 23). The Manjaks and Papels are intelligible resulting in European sources labelling Manjaks as Buramos/Papels (p. 6).


title: Guinea-Bissau

text: In terms of societal structures the Mandinka, Fula, Papel, Manjak, and Biafada possessed highly stratified structures. The Balanta had no institution of kingship based on property, authority, or power with instead an emphasis on heads of villages and families present. The Jola possessed kings but no clear institutions of kingship, of which mirrored the Balanta with emphasis on heads of families (p. 64). Those with societal stratification followed the design of provinces with chiefs, and chiefs in allegiance to kings. The Biafada had three kingdoms with multiple chieftains under the king, and Papels in Bissau the same structure (p. 65). Kingship varied in terms of customs, rites, coronation, and ceremonies (p. 66, 67). The Portuguese observed these societies holding courts with officials, such as 'mayors', 'governors', 'ambassadors', and 'generals' (p. 68). The society was divided into the hierarchy of kings, chiefs, nobles, and commoners (p. 73). Law of the land was the kings law and administration of the law was done through the king and his judges, judges all coming from the nobility (p. 227). Those of the nobility were the only ones with the ability to make claim to the throne, or other high positions of power in the kingdoms (p. 74-76). Additionally, the stratification was seen in the clothing and accessories of the people with the poor wearing grass skirts, the better off animal skin usually from goatskin, kings and nobles shirts and trousers made of cotton. An iron ring with bells to give commands was worn by kings and nobles, a drum called bombalon used for communication was in the hands of the kings and nobles due to the financing of these specially trained bombalon players. Differences were seen in the houses with better construction material available for kings and nobles. In the few numbers they were in horses were owned by kings and nobles, while common people used castrated ox's for transportation (p. 77, 78). Private property was instituted amongst the Mandinka, Fula, Papel, Manjaks, and Biafadas in Guinea Bissau. However, the Balanta were distinct in that the Balantas owned parcels of land, labour was through the use of reciprocation through the reward of land they worked on. The others contrasted the Balanta, as land development was in the hands of those who could afford the necessary labour, and land was not administered to labourers as a form of payment (p. 75).


title: Guinea-Bissau

text: Inter-ethnic relations was mainly in trade, the Balantas possessed the best agricultural techniques, leading the Beafada and Papels to be reliant on Balanta produce. Balanta unwillingness to trade with Europeans meant goods reached Europeans through the Papel and Beafada and vice-versa (p. 69). Items traded amongst the region were as such, Biafadas traded pepper and kola nuts from the southern forests, the Papel, Felupe, and Banhun traded kola nuts, iron, and iron utensils from the savannah-forest zone, coastal regions provided salt and dried fish, the Mandinka themselves produced cotton cloth (p. 4). The products were commonly sold on markets and fairs held weekly acting as both commercial and social functions, held usually in the lands of the Papel and Beafada open to the public on certain days of the week or every eight days (p. 69). Markets typically opened up on the morning of the day, and finished in the evening to be repeated the week after, weapons were prohibited in the market place and soldiers were positioned around the area to keep order throughout the day (p. 70). Markets and fairs could be attended by up to several thousand buyers and sellers from as far as 60 miles away, the organisation went as such, sections of the market would be allocated for specific products except for wine which could be sold anywhere, the exception for wine vendors highlighted the markets social function (p.70).


title: Guinea-Bissau

text: A culture of naval navigation was integral due the river systems of Guinea Bissau, canoes were routinely used to navigate riverways. The canoes importance were highlighted in a local proverb used in the region: "the blood of kings and the tears of the canoe-maker are sacred things which must not touch the ground" (p. 42-44). Canoes varied in size with the smallest fit for one man, to those that could carry 60 men, in the region only Bijago canoes were deemed sea-worthy (p. 42, 43). The Jolas used one man canoes to travel their flooded rice fields, and the Bijagos preferred large canoes to carry their troops to the mainland in coastal raids (p. 42). The construction of canoes varied in the region, in the forest regions canoes tended to be imported from other ethnical groups who had specialties in its construction, the Jola would employ Mandinka boatbuilders for theirs (p. 43).Description of the canoes used in this region was made by British explorer John Hawkins:


title: Guinea-Bissau

text: "Fashioned from a single trunk the final proportions were 24 x 3 feet, with a prow in the form of a beak, a proportionately raised stem, and an exterior artistically carved and painted blue. Each held about twenty to thirty men, but the active crew comprised a helmsman and four rowers, using very long oars with relatively small blades," (p. 42).


title: Guinea-Bissau

text: The construction and design of these canoes was diverse, the Bijagos being the best canoes were described as:


title: Guinea-Bissau

text: "hewn from the giant silk cotton tree, and measuring about seventy feet in length. A number of boards, called falsas by the Portuguese, were added to the sides, and, thus modified, each almadia (Canoe) carried twenty-four men and their weapons, and had room for prisoners and cattle when returning from their expeditions on the mainland." (p. 42).


title: Guinea-Bissau

text: "It was also propelled in a different manner from the canoes lower down the coast in Sierra Leone, according to a nineteenth century reference. All the individuals on board were rowers, who squatted at the bottom of the boat, and rose at the beginning of each stroke of their short oars," (p. 43).


title: Guinea-Bissau

text: The Kingdom of Bissau was a Kingdom started by the son of the King of Quinara, whom began the kingdom when he moved to Bissau with his pregnant sister, six wives, and subjects from his fathers kingdom. The seven clans of the kingdom are said to of came from the sister and six wives of Mecau, these being the Bottat, Bossuzu, Boiga, Bosafinte, Bodjukumo, Bosso, and Bossassun the latter of which descends from the sister of Mecau. Characteristic of the region the Bossassun inherited the throne, and were the nobility alongside the Bodjukumo. The Kingdom of Bissau had multiple vassal states such as Prabis, Antula, Safim, Quisset, Tor, and Biombo.


title: Guinea-Bissau

text: The Kingdom of Bissau was highly stratified with the top of society being the king, nobles, and then commoners and was strictly enforced (p. 73-79).The King of Bissau would go through their coronation, receive their badge of office for this kingdom was a spear, other Papel Kingdoms used the bow (p. 66). The coronation involved the practice of binding and beating the king, as the king should know what punishment felt like before administering it (p. 66). Nobles would be assigned to principalities as governors subject to the King of Bissau and part of his court (p. 364). Houses in the kingdom were made of clay, and roofs of leaves from the surrounding trees, and the inhabitants were pagans until the Jesuits arrival (p. 366).


title: Guinea-Bissau

text: Papels suffered slave raids from the Bijagos who would stage maritime expeditions into Bissau for slaves (p. 204). However, Papels themselves were slave traders, staging slave raids against the Balantas, Biafadas, and Bijagos with the assistance from the Europeans and Lançados (p. 207).


title: Guinea-Bissau

text: Centuries of warfare between the Kingdom of Bissau and Portuguese Empire of which the kingdom strongly defended its sovereignty, defeating the Portuguese in the years of 1891, 1894, and 1904 during the Pacification Campaigns (p. 9). However, in 1915 and after 30 years of the Portuguese campaigns, the Portuguese defeated the Kingdom of Bissau under the command of Officer Teixeira Pinto, and Warlord Abdul Injai, and for the first time in the kingdoms existence lost its independence.


title: Guinea-Bissau

text: The King of Guinala was a grandiose figure, attended too by a retinue of archers, alongside 50 guard dogs dressed in tough Sea-Cow skin (p. 365). These dogs were formed in response to slave raiders breaking into homes, and kidnapping them (p. 365).


title: Guinea-Bissau

text: Under the king there were seven governors who wore hats given to them as a sign of their station (p. 365). The kingdom extended jurisdiction over six kingdoms, the governors of these kingdoms were gathered in the form of a council. Under the king would be the main governor who was described as a President (p. 365).


title: Guinea-Bissau

text: Their religion was idol worship. The idols in the region were called 'Xina', though some converted to Roman Catholicism in the early period of European contact (p. 366).


title: Guinea-Bissau

text: Royal funerals went as such, twelve men in long coats made of feathers, following a band of pipers playing mournful music, declared the kings death to the masses on the streets (p. 366). White clothes would be worn them for the day, nothing being done except walking the streets in mourning. The late kings friends, relatives, and servants would congregate to appoint a successor (p. 366). The kings body would be washed, his entrails burnt before an idol, the ashes of his entrails preserved and put with the body of which would lie in state for a month, then all the subjects of the kingdoms would bring balsam, myrrh, ambergris, musk, and other perfumes to burn and be smoked around the corps (p. 366). Six eminent people would carry the body to be buried while clothed in white silk, behind a band of musicians followed with mournful music, who in turn are followed by many people singing mournfully or crying aloud, the prince followed on horseback while dressed in white (p. 366). Near the grave waited his women, servants, horses, and favourite people to be put to death and buried alongside him, to serve in the afterlife, their death would be by their toes and fingers being severed, and bones crushed by stamping. Servants would try leave the services of the king prior to his death, or hide when they realised he would not recover (p. 366).


title: Guinea-Bissau

text: The people of the kingdom lived the same way as those from the Kingdom of Guinala. Observers to this kingdom said once a king died, the crown fell went to the strongest family, this would and did lead to armed conflict, battles lasted until the strongest contestant reduced his opponent to obedience (p. 367).


title: Guinea-Bissau

text: The Kingdom of Biguba had less chiefs underneath them than the Kingdom of Guinala, holding administration over four kingdoms with four governors (p. 65).


title: Guinea-Bissau

text: A sizeable population of Afro-Portuguese citizens lived in the kingdom, these Afro-Portuguese swore allegiance to the natives, and they would follow local religions, dress like the locals, and undergo scarification (p. 366).


title: Guinea-Bissau

text: The Bijagos are from the region the Biafada are currently in, leaving their original home for the Islands, the population that migrated were not homogenous with Islands having differing affinities to different mainland ethnicities (p. 25). Each Island was governed by lords whom swore allegiance to the King of Isla do Po (p. 364). All the Islands were inhabited except for the Island of Bolama which was inhabited by the Biafadas, however, control of the Island has traded hands multiple times (p. 7) (p. 5).


title: Guinea-Bissau

text: Described as large in stature, and reputed for their courage and hardy disposition, they were renown for their skills in boat craft, sailing, harassing the waters of the region, and regular staging of raids on the mainland. The Bijagos would attack European ships that crossed their waters, and those who tried to take their land (p. 364). The Bijago canoes were unique in that they were sea worthy, meaning after their coastal raids regions they did not have to fear retaliation.


title: Guinea-Bissau

text: Bijago society was warlike. Women cultivated land, constructed houses, and gathered food (p. 204). Men were dedicated to boat crafting and warring the mainland, attacking the coastal people like the Jolas, Papels, and Balantas, and believing on the sea they had no king, also attacking other Islands (p. 204). These soldiers were reputed to be excellent swimmers, sailors, and soldiers, in this society women chose their husbands, only choosing warriors with the biggest reputation. Successful warriors could have many wives and boats, the owner of these boats were entitled to 1/3 of the spoils of any expedition (p. 205).


title: Guinea-Bissau

text: Coastal raids went as such, warriors anointing their body in red ochre, coal and white clay, placed feathers in their hair, and hung horse tails from their breasts with little bells. A priestess would break an egg over the stern of the boat, setting off to arrive on the coast at night (p. 205). With rapid speed they would arrive on the coast, surroun coastal villages, set fire to the homes, and if met with resisted would be cut down though occupants usually surrendered (p. 205). So efficient were these raids that Portuguese traders tried to get the Portuguese authorities to stop them, as they were decimating the Biafadas, however, so successful were these raids, the Portuguese were getting a high surplus of slaves, and Lemos Coelho a Cape Verdean trader described how in 25 trips over a couple of years over a 1,000 slaves were captured by the raids (p. 206). In the early 17th century with the monetary gains made from the raids, the Bijago Islands joined together in their war with the mainland, increasing the size of their fleets and soldiers (p. 206). These raids resulted in the King of Guinala losing six kingdoms, and the king fleeing into the forest (p. 364). The Portuguese influence on the Bijago was by appealing to their honour, if slaves were few in number in the ports they would call it a stain on their good name, and other Europeans would ignore their ports as a result. These appeals to their pride would be enough to increase their raiding intensity (p. 207).


title: Guinea-Bissau

text: The Bijagos were the most safe from enslavement, their lsland kept them out of the hands of the mainland slave raiders (p. 218). Europeans did not find them fit for slavery and avoided having them as slaves. Portuguese sources say the children made good slaves but not the adults, whom were likely too commit suicide as they believed their spirits returned back to the Bijagos, known for slave rebellions on ships, and in the New World for their tendency to escape (p. 218, 219).


title: Guinea-Bissau

text: Kaabu was established as a province of Mali through the conquest of the Senegambia by the one of the generals of Sundiata Keita called Tiramakhan Troare. According to oral tradition Tiramakhan went to the region in retaliation for an insult given to Sundiata by the Wolof King, resulting in the conquest of the Wolof's, and then carried down past the River Gambia into the Casamance. This initiated a migration of Mandinka into the region in the 13th century, though a small population of Mandinka already lived there. The 14th century a lot of Guinea Bissau was under Mali administration and ruled by a Farim Kaabu (Commander of Kaabu).


title: Guinea-Bissau

text: The decline of the Mali Empire in the 14th century lead to Kaabu becoming independent in the 16th century. The right to rule came from their history as an imperial province, Farim Kaabu was replaced with Kaabu Mansaba. The capital of the empire was Kansala, modern day Gabu, eastern Guinea Bissau in the Geba region (p. 4). All the region excluding the Papels, Manjaks, and western Biafadas obeyed and paid dues to the Mansaba (p. 367).