Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has once again has stressed that star man Franck Ribery will not be leaving the club.

The French super talent features high on the wish-list of a whole host of Europe’s richest sides but Bayern have neither the need nor the desire to cash in.

“Franck has a contract with us until 30 June 2011. We know what he’s worth to us,” declared the club’s chairman.

“He’s an extremely important player. He’s really shaken up the league since returning from injury, and it’s no accident we’ve steadily worked our way up the table since then. We’re proud and happy to have him here at Bayern.

“We had enquiries for Franck last summer, but we didn’t stop for one second and consider releasing him from his contract – quite the opposite, as we’ll try and have Franck sign an extension in 2009. No amount of money in the world would persuade us to change our opinion.“

A Franck Ribery-inspired 3-2 victory at Lyon on Wednesday night shot Bayern Munich to the top of their Champions League group in rainy conditions in France.

Bayern’s pole position in Group F meant they are assured of playing a second-placed team in the February/March first knockout round, whose draw is on December 19, and of having the advantage of having the second leg at home.

Ribery’s swashbuckling attacking performance left Lyon bereft of ideas. The Frenchman was involved in all three of Bayern’s goals, scoring the second, while Miroslav Klose’s brace left him with five in the competition this season and 21 career strikes in Europe.

Sidney Govou and Karim Benzema earned consolation goals for Lyon and Claude Puel’s men at least knew they had already qualified for the next stage.

Klinsmann was without injured Brazilian defenders Ze Roberto and Lucio but his fielding of Ribery and Tim Borowski on the left, whose link play with Klose was impressive, had a big impact.

Klose easily put Bayern ahead on 11 minutes. Hesitancy in the Lyon back line meant Toulalan and Jean II Makoun failed to clear and battling Ribery, surrounded by yellow shirts, got the ball to Klose who found the net from six metres.

Ribery got on the scoresheet himself in the 34th minute with more fighting play down the left flank. A defence-splitting pass from Luca Toni found Ribery and, without breaking stride, he ran into the box and shot fiercely across Hugo Lloris’s goal with the ball going just inside his left hand post.

Three minutes later, Bayern were three goals ahead. Profiting from a neat Bastian Schweinsteiger backheel, Ribery floated the ball over from the left to Klose, whose mishit shot at the far post bounced over the head of Lloris and into the net.

Ribery said afterwards he was flattered to have been appreciated by Lyon fans.

“Spectators at the Gerland stadium applauded me? I’m happy about that, it brings me a lot of pleasure, and it proves that even though I play for Bayern Munich, the people have not forgotten that I am a Frenchman, and when I play for France, they are all supporting the French team.

“I had success in my first match in France for Bayern and I was fortunate enough to score. I feel good about that.” / AFP

Franck Ribery was elected best French player of the year by the weekly France Football, on Sunday.

It’s the second time in a row the Bayern Munich international midfielder receives the prize.

Recently, Ribery has expressed his surprise at being voted only 16th in the Ballon d’Or European Footballer of the Year award.

“I deserved better than that. But that’s the way it is. You just have to live with it. It won’t stop me working just as hard as before to be even better.”

In-form Franck Ribery wants to take on more responsibility at Bayern Munich, the France international striker said on Wednesday.

“I’m concentrating more at the moment on the functioning of the team, I want to assume more responsibility and my team-mates realise this,” he told German magazine Sport Bild .

“I want to be a leader, to help the team and I feel comfortable in this role,” added Ribery who is on a hot streak scoring six goals in Bayern’s last seven games.

The former Marseille forward joined Bayern in 2007 on a four-year contract and insisted he had no desire to change clubs.

“I feel good, I’m playing for a big club with fantastic infrastructure and the fans like me, all that is very important for me.”

Ribery and his team-mates take on Hoffenheim, who lead the reigning champions by two points at the top of the Bundesliga, on Friday.

Bayern Munich will be seeking an agreement to keep Franck Ribery at the club although the France international’s contract still has more than two years to run.

General manager Uli Hoeness said Sunday Bayern wanted a long-term deal with the midfielder who helped Bayern win the league and cup double last season and whose form has revived their current season.

Ribery joined Bayern for a club-record fee of a reported 25 million euros from Olympique Marseille in June 2007 on a four-year contract.

“In six or 12 months we will be speaking about extending the contract,” Hoeness said on DSF television.

Ribery missed the start of the season following ankle surgery but his return has triggered a surge in form for Bayern.

Since he started a game for the first time at the beginning of October, Bayern have not been beaten in 10 league outings, winning eight of them with Ribery scoring six goals.

He was again in outstanding form on Friday when Bayern came from behind to beat league leaders Hoffenheim 2-1 to draw level with the promoted side at the top of the table.

Bayern directors met the 25-year-old player last week for a meal to “signal that we are completely happy with him,” Hoeness said.

Club president Franz Beckenbauer meanwhile told the Neue Presse Coburg newspaper: “We are pleased to have such a player. He makes all the difference.”

Bayern Munich needed a last-gasp Luca Toni goal to snatch a 2-1 home win over Bundesliga leaders Hoffenheim on Friday and move level on points at the top.

Toni scored from close range following a poor clearance by Andreas Ibertsberger, who laid the ball into the Italy striker’s path in the final seconds of time added on.

Champions Bayern now have 34 points and trail this season’s surprise package Hoffenheim only on goal difference.

Such was the interest in the match, pitting Germany’s most successful team against the Bundesliga newcomers who have taken the league by storm, that it was broadcast to 168 countries.

It was Bundesliga top scorer Vedad Ibisevic who struck first for the visitors in the 49th minute, netting his 18th goal in 16 league matches to stun a 69,000 crowd at the Allianz Arena.

Ibisevic calmly controlled a Tobias Weis cross in the area, turned and volleyed past Bayern goalkeeper Michael Rensing.

Bayern hit back on the hour to the relief of the home fans when defender Philipp Lahm fired a deflected shot into the top corner from 17 metres after a fine individual run. / Reuters

Franck Ribery played full 90 minutes.

With Bayern second in the Bundesliga, into the quarter finals of the Champions League and the DFB Pokal, all seems rosy at the Allianz Arena, but for Franck Ribery that still isn’t enough.

In an interview in the ‘Tageszeitung’ the Frenchman has called upon the Bavarians to invest in new players in order to make the team more competitive in the Champions League.

The winger has renewed his demand for the club to bring in more top quality players.

“In my opinion nothing has changed. In the Champions League it can come down to the smallest detail, and world-class players can make all the difference.”

Ribery made a similar demand last season following Bayern’s exit from the Uefa Cup at the hands of Zenit St Petersburg saying at the time: “We still need three or four players of top quality. That would be good.”

According to the 25-year-old, there is no specific part of the squad that needs strengthening.

“If you want to achieve big things, then you need to strengthen in all areas.”

Ribery has reportedly already spoken about the issue with trainer Jurgen Klinsmann and the club’s board.

The FC Bayern trickster is not best pleased to have fallen nine places in the running for the Golden Ball, despite a successful year…

France forward Franck Ribery admits that he is feeling a little deflated after registering only 16th place in the running for the 2008 Ballon d’Or.

The Bayern Munich prompter finishes 2008 in a better position than he did in 2007; with a Bundesliga crown, a Pokal victory and a place in the last 16 of the Champions League secure.

Last year however, Ribery finished seventh for the Ballon d’Or reckoning, despite Bayern’s poor showing in the Bundesliga and lack of Champions League berth.

The former Galatasaray man admits frustration and bemusement at this year’s outcome, giving his increase in on-field success this time around.

He told L’Equipe: “Frankly, I am disappointed by my ranking. I should have deserved better.

“Last year, I finished seventh having played six months for Marseille and six months at Bayern, without having won any titles.

“Here, I am 16th in the list at the end of a massive season with Bayern. We were champions of Germany, won the national cup and reached the semi-finals of the Uefa Cup.

“I also picked up a number of individual awards, for example the best player in the Bundesliga. I achieved something amazing but you have to accept the verdict.”

Cristiano Ronaldo added to his golden year by carrying away the top honour, with Lionel Messi and Fernando Torres also in the shake-up.

Ribery concedes that Ronaldo was a worthy winner.

Bayern Munich midfield star Franck Ribery says he has every intention of fulfilling his current contract at the Allianz Arena.

The France international has been in sparkling form for the Bundesliga champions since returning from the injury he picked up at Euro 2008, and could well be the target of big-money offers in the summer.

But Ribery is contracted to Bayern until 2011 and says he has no intention of moving on before then.

“Now is not the right time to talk about such things,” Ribery told Bild.

“I am having a lot of fun here and want to have a successful season. We will then see what happens.

“One thing is for sure though - I will be seeing out my contract here.”

Bayern Munich moved into second place on Saturday after recording a 2-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen at Bay Arena.

Luca Toni scored the first goal for Bayern in the 59th minute, while Miroslav Klose added a second goal eight minutes from time, allowing Bayern to head into Friday’s top-of-the-table clash with Hoffenheim just three points behind the Bundesliga newcomers.

Franck Ribery played Ze Roberto into space down the wing, and his cross found the head of Toni, who nodded the ball home from five yards to put his team in front.

Adler made another nice stop on Ribery in the 77th minute to keep his team close, but he was unable to keep out Klose five minutes later, when the striker dashed into the box after taking a pass from Ribery and fired into the bottom left corner of the net.