Ribery insists he is not a dirty player

Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery has defended himself against accusations that he is a dirty player and is adamant he only reacts on the pitch when he believes an opponent is trying to injure him.

The Frenchman has made the headlines for the wrong reasons on more than one occasion this term, getting involved in incidents with Felipe Melo, Felix Passlack and Nicolai Muller.

But Ribery has stressed he never has bad intentions on the pitch.

“I am well aware of it myself that I have to be careful. But I want to make it clear that I am not a dirty player,” the 33-year-old told Sport Bild.

“I sometimes lose my calm for a moment, but only when I notice that an opponent is deliberately trying to injure me. I don’t have any problem with tackles or duels, but I react when I notice that someone is only trying to kick me out of the game.

“But I never have the intention to hurt anyone. Everything is forgotten again a minute later.”