Franck Ribery yesterday threatened to quit German giants Bayern Munich unless they qualify for the Champions League as the defending Bundesliga champions struggle to defend their title.
Bayern are third in the German league, three points behind leaders Wolfsburg with five games remaining, and must finish in the top two to be guaranteed a Champions League place next season.
A third place finish would mean they would have to play the qualification rounds and French midfielder Ribery says failure to reach the top tier of European domestic competition would mean he would be looking to leave.
“It would be surely difficult for me to remain, if this goal is not achieved,” Ribery told French sports daily L’Equipe.
Ribery, who is under contract at Bayern until 2011, has already made no secret of his desire to play for Barcelona and dropped several hints when the Spanish giants dumped Munich out of the Champions League quarter-finals.
Bayern sacked coach Jurgen Klinsmann on Monday with Jupp Heynckes named as caretaker coach for the remaining five league games and Ribery says he wants a meeting with Munich’s bosses to discuss the situation.
Heynckes first game in charge is at Borussia Moenchengladbach tomorrow, but Ribery is banned having been sent off for a second yellow card in last Saturday’s 1-0 defeat by Schalke.
And Ribery says whoever is recruited for next season as the new Bayern coach will be irrelevant to him if the team fail to reach the Champions League.
“The name of the new coach does not play a role in my thinking,” said the 26-year-old who has already been linked to a host of top European clubs.
“We just want to finish the season and then see where we stand,” he said.
“We have five games left and we have to give everything,” Ribery said. “The minimum target is a top-two place.”
Ribery joined Bayern from Marseille in 2007. He has played 36 times for France.
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