Ribery fined over expletive posts after Nusr-et outing


Bayern Munich have imposed a hefty fine on their French winger Franck Ribery over postings filled with insults and obscenities on his Twitter account.

"He used words we can not accept as Bayern Munich and which Franck as a role model and FC Bayern player must never use," sports director Hasan Salihamidzic said yesterday at Munich's training camp in Doha.

"I had a long chat with Franck yesterday and told him that he has received a hefty fine. He has accepted the punishment."

Salihamidzic did not want to give figures, saying only the sum "would be very high."

Two postings on Ribery's social media account Saturday appeared after the French winger was criticized for having a gold covered steak served in Dubai branch of Nusr-et, a famous Turkish restaurant owned by Nusret Gökçe known as "Saltbae" on social media. The postings in French attacked "enviers" and "haters" as well as the media.

Salihamidzic said that Ribery was invited to the restaurant in Dubai while on holiday with his family, and that he didn't pay for the steak himself. He said Ribery had the right to defend himself after he and his family were insulted via social media but that the player "unfortunately" used the wrong words. Ribery earlier in the season had an altercation with a French television worker for which he later apologized.