BAYERN
Ribéry on Ancelotti: "I finally feel like I'm trusted again"
Bayern Munich's French winger Franck Ribéry has praised new coach Carlo Ancelotti - and taken a veiled swipe at ex-boss Pep Guardiola.
Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribéry has fired a veiled shot at former boss Pep Guardiola with a glowing assessment of new coach Carlo Ancelotti.
Guardiola's summer departure for Manchester City after three years in charge saw Ancelotti take over at Bayern, who have won the Bundesliga title in each of the last four seasons.
Bayern flew to the US on Monday to play a friendly against AC Milan on Thursday, before further games against Inter Milan and Real Madrid.
Ribéry had a professional, but cool relationship with Guardiola, which was not helped by the Frenchman's injury-ravaged final season under the Spaniard.
"Ancelotti's an awesome coach"
The 33-year-old said he needs to feel the confidence of his coach "to play to my best".
"Under Ancelotti, I finally feel like I'm trusted again," Ribéry told German magazine Kicker.
"He's an awesome coach, I need people like him or [former Bayern bosses] Jupp Heynckes and Ottmar Hitzfeld."
Alongside fellow veteran Arjen Robben, Ribéry faces stiff competition for a place on Bayern's wing from the likes of fleet-footed pair Douglas Costa and Kingsley Coman.
Ancelotti tried to bring the former France international to Chelsea when he was the head coach at Stamford Bridge in 2009, and Ribéry added that he now feels "free, completely motivated."
Ancelotti: Ribéry a "fantastic player"
The Italian has only been coaching Bayern for the last two weeks, but took Ribéry aside to explain how he is part of his plans, describing him in public as "a fantastic player. I like his style and how focused he is.
"He can still be very important for us with this quality and experience."