Ribéry was born on 7 April 1983 in Boulogne-sur-Mer and raised in a low-incomeneighbourhood on the fringes of the city.[3] When he was two years old, he and his family were involved in a car accident in his hometown, colliding with a truck.[4] Ribéry suffered serious facial injuries that resulted in over one hundred stitches and left two long scars down the right side of his face.[4] Prior to joining Stade Brestois in 2003, he worked as aconstruction worker with his father, which Ribéry referred to as a "learning experience".[5]Ribéry's younger brother François is also a football player, and has played for numerous amateur clubs in France. François plays for Le Touquet Côte d'Opale based in Le Touquet.[6]Ribéry's wife, Wahiba, is a French national of Algerian descent and the couple have two daughters.[1][7] Ribéry is a convert to Islam and, following his conversion, adopted the name Bilal Yusuf Mohammed.[8][9][10]
Ribéry in December 2007 wearing a pair of red MVIII's.
Since establishing himself as an international, Ribéry has been involved in numerous promotional campaigns. For the 2008–09 season, he appeared, alongside international teammate Karim Benzema, on the French cover of video gameFIFA 09.[11] Ribéry is sponsored by Americansportswear company Nike and regularly wears Nike Mercurial Vapors. He has appeared in severaltelevision advertisements for the brand and, during the 2007–08 Bundesliga season, starred in a one-time television show called "The Franck Ribéry Show", which aired on Direct 8 in France.[12][13] The show, sponsored by Nike, acted as a variety show with Ribéry appearing in several sketches.[14] On 25 May 2010, a 27 by 30 metres (89 × 98 ft) billboard of Ribéry was officially unveiled in his home city of Boulogne-sur-Mer ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The billboard paid tribute to a similar billboard that was erected for Zinedine Zidane in his home city ofMarseille during his career.[15] The construction of the billboard was initially suspended due to possible image ramifications associated with Ribéry's alleged relationship with an underage prostitute.[16] However, the Regional Council of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region, which initially opposed the billboard, agreed to allow construction of the billboard. The billboard was a project of Ribéry's sponsor Nike and was on display for the duration of the FIFA World Cup.[17]
On 18 April 2010, it was first reported by French television service M6 that four members of the French national team were being investigated for their roles as clients of a prostitution ring that was being operated inside of a Parisnightclub with some of the women possibly being underage. The report also stated that two of the players were already questioned as witnesses by judge André Dando and a group ofmagistrates. The report described the two players as being one who “is a major player in a big foreign club” and that the other “plays in the championship of France Ligue 1".[18] Later that day, the players were discovered to be Ribéry and Sidney Govou.[19] During his interview with Dando, Ribéry reportedly admitted to having a relationship with a prostitute, but did not know that she was a minor at the time the relationship began.[20][21] On 29 April, the country's Secretary of State for Sports Rama Yade, after refusing to publicly comment on the case in its infancy, declared that any player placed under investigation should not represent the France national team.[22] The following day, a judicial source confirmed that Ribéry would not be placed under official investigation, if at all, before the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.[23] On 20 July, Ribéry was questioned by Paris police and, following questioning, was indicted by judge Dando on the charge of "solicitation of a minor prostitute".[24][25][26]
By PIERRE-YVES ROGER, Associated Press Writer Pierre-yves Roger, Associated Press Writer – 9 mins ago
PARIS – Paris police say the Eiffel Tower is being evacuated following the second bomb threat against the monument in two weeks.
The city's police headquarters says an anonymous caller phoned in a bomb threat Tuesday from a telephone booth near the tower.
The monument was evacuated Sept. 14 after a similar phone threat, and a police search turned up nothing suspicious. On Monday, the bustling Saint Lazare train station in Paris was evacuated and searched.
Several top French officials have said lately that France is on alert for possible terror attacks. National Police Chief Frederic Pechenard said last week that authorities suspect al-Qaida's North African branch of plotting a bomb attack on a crowded target.
Two weeks ago, Moroccan goalkeeper Khalid Askri earned his 15 minutes of infamy when he thumped his chest and gestured to the crowdwhile a penalty kick he thought he'd saved spun back into the net behind him. On Saturday, apparently determined to become more than a fleeting internet punchline, Askri topped himself. This time, yielding a silly goal wasn't enough. Distraught over his own error during the first half of a Moroccan league game between his FAR Rabat side and visiting KAC Kenitra, Askri ripped off his jersey, tossed it to the ground and sprinted from the field with the sort of open-field running usually seen from the likes of Adrian Peterson or Barry Sanders. Several teammates tried to grab Askri and calm him down, but the goalie would have none of it and disappeared into a tunnel at FAR's Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium. FAR presumably then brought in a substitute goalie. Kenitra's 40th-minute goal, which turned out to be the only one of the game, was scored when Askri dribbled the ball straight into an opposing player who then touched it past him into the open goal. It was a bad mistake, but certainly nothing unheard of. But coming just two games after his legendary shootout gaffe, it obviously was too much for the fragile 29-year-old goalie to handle. FAR is now 1-1-2 and in sixth place in the Moroccan first division. There's no word about whether Askri will be in goal for FAR's next game on Thursday. Here's the video of Askri's mad dash for freedom from Saturday, followed by the scene from the shootout two weeks ago:
The city's police headquarters says an anonymous caller phoned in a bomb threat Tuesday from a telephone booth near the tower.
