Salernitana have come out on top in the sweepstakes to sign Frank Ribery. The Granata bested Verona and Karamguruk. They unveiled him in style at the Stadio Arechi earlier today in front of 13 thousand fans. The supporters contributed to tipping the scale in their favor by peppering his social media pages with affection and pleas to join them.
According to Corriere dello Sport, Salernitana were the highest bidders and gave him €1.5M salary. The one-year contract includes an optional second season, a release clause and bonuses when the attacker will make his 15th and 25th appearances.
Ribery wanted to stay in Italy after two years at Fiorentina. He collected 51 appearances with the Viola, scoring 5 goals and providing 10 assists. During his career, he won the Bundesliga nine times with Bayern Munich and the Champions League once in 2013.
The 38-year-old explained the move to Salernitana came about in his introductory presser: “The negotiation was born and closed in a hurry. I talked with sporting director Angelo Fabiani via videoconference, and he conveyed a great emotional charge to me. I had never felt this much love, also from their fans. The passion of the people was just incredible. I appreciated that a lot, and that element had a major impact on my decision.”
“I live for football and moments like this. If money mattered to me, I would not be here. I felt as if I was at home and I played for Salernitana for two or three years today. Now it will be up to me to prove my worth and grow with my new teammates. Coach Fabrizio Castori told me that we must be a strong group, a family, and battle together both in wins and losses. I still have a lot to give.”