Bayern Munich said goodbye two club legends in phenomenal style as they wrapped up their seventh consecutive Bundesliga title in a 5-1 romp over Frankfurt.
Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben played their final games for the club after 12 and 10 years of service respectively, in what was an emotional day at Allianz Arena.
Ribery arrived in Munich in 2007, joining for a then club-record fee of €25 million. He was instantly given the number 7 shirt – the same number he wore at former club Marseille.
The French winger represented Bayern 424 times in all competitions, scoring 124 goals.
Known for his tremendous speed and dribbling, Ribery was always a nightmare for defences, so often terrorising the opposition’s right-back with his silky style of play.
It is a similar story when describing his partner in crime, Arjen Robben.
Robben was already a household name prior to signing for Bayern. The Dutchman had three seasons at Chelsea and two seasons at Real Madrid before joining the German giants in 2009.
He has since made 308 appearances for the Bavarians whilst scoring 144 goals – none more significant than the winner in the 2013 UEFA Champions League final.
Locked at 1-1 with rivals Borussia Dortmund, Robben found space in the penalty area before calmly sliding it past Roman Weidenfeller, leading his side to European glory.
The neutral fan will certainly miss his trademark play, where he always seemed to dribble down the right-hand flank with ease, before cutting in and scoring on his preferred left foot. It is impossible to count on two hands the number of times he produced that piece of magic.
The pair’s ending was fitting. Both were able to score in their final match and lift the Bundesliga crown one last time, as Ribery became the first ever player to win nine Bundesliga titles.
No doubt they will go down as two of the greatest ever players to wear the shirt of Bayern Munich.
