Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge insisted Thursday he will not let French star Franck Ribery leave the German giants without a fight.
Having bossed Bayern’s midfield for the last two seasons, Ribery has attracted the attention of Europe’s top clubs and the German media regularly link him to another big name European side.
At the start of the year, Ribery hinted he would be prepared to leave Bayern, but the 25-year-old later issued a reversal insisting he will fulfill his contract, which expires in June 2011.
“We are not going to let a player like Ribery leave with his contract set to expire in two and a half years,” insisted Rummenigge.
“When you have such a player in your team, you want him to stay.
“He is a crowd favourite, one of those players the supporters love, because he represents spectacular football and is synonymous with success.”
And Rummenigge has insisted Bayern have “no intention at all” of recruiting Barcelona’s Belarus international Aleksandr Hleb.
