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Ribery praises Ancelotti

Alex ChafferJuly 26, 2016

Bayern Munich are embarking on the final leg of their pre-season with three matches in the US. Before leaving Germany, club forward Franck Ribery heaped praise on new coach Carlo Ancelotti, saying he feels trusted.

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Deutschland - Franck Ribery FC Bayern München
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Hitij

After a troubled 2015-16 season mainly due to an ankle injury, Bayern Munich forward Franck Ribery has praised the club's new head coach, Carlo Ancelotti, while leaving former coach Pep Guardiola in the dark.

"Under Ancelotti, I finally feel like I'm trusted again," Ribery said in remarks published in Monday's edition of the German sports magazine "Kicker."

"He's an awesome coach and I need people like him or Jupp Heynckes and Ottmar Hitzfeld."

Ribery, 33, made only 84 appearances during Guardiola's three seasons at Bayern, compared to the 237 appearances in his six previous campaigns.

Bayern München - FC Chelsea UEFA Super Cup
Franck Ribery's form dropped in Pep Guardiola's time at Bayern MunichImage: Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images

Injury plagued the Frenchman's past season, but the of signings of Douglas Costa and Kingsley Coman last summer were seen as an indication of a lack of trust in Ribery from the Spanish coach. Ribery told "Kicker" that he needed to feel the confidence of his coach to "play at my best."

"I feel free and fully motivated," Ribery continued. "He [Ancelotti] is a gift for the club."

Bayern Munich arrvived in Chicago late on Monday, where they are embarking on a pre-season tour of the United States. They are to take on AC Milan at Soldier Field on Thursday.

The Bundesliga champions are also to play Inter Milan and Real Madrid in the United States before returning to Germany, where they are to face Borussia Dortmund in the German Super Cup on August 14.