Franck Ribery, a legendary figure at Bayern Munich, recently shared that a routine knee surgery had unexpected and severe repercussions on his health.
The situation was so dire that doctors almost considered amputating his entire leg due to a serious infection that resulted in significant damage, leaving him with ‘holes’ in his leg.
During his illustrious career with Bayern Munich from 2007 to 2019, Ribery showcased his talent by scoring 124 goals and providing 182 assists in 425 appearances.
He claimed a total of nine German Bundesliga titles, one UEFA Champions League trophy, and six DFB-Pokal titles, among other honors.
After parting ways with Bayern Munich, he continued his football journey in Italy, playing for Fiorentina and later for Salernitana. Unfortunately, his injury occurred in his second season at Salernitana, ultimately leading to his retirement from professional football.
In an interview with French outlet L’Equipe, the 41-year-old said, “My knee hurt more and more. I was no longer training between matches but rather recovering to protect myself. I went under the knife in Austria.
“The operation went well, with a plate inserted inside. But I had a bad infection almost five months later.
“They removed the plate, but the infection had eaten away at me. It was so bad that I had holes in my leg. I had contracted Staphylococcus aureus.
“I was in the emergency room at the hospital in Austria for 12 days. I was really scared. They could have cut off my leg,” Ribery added.