Franck Ribery retires from international Football

The 31-year-old, who has 82 senior caps to his name, wishes to devote more time to his family and club commitments with Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery has announced that he is no longer available for selection for France international duty.

Ribery has won 82 senior caps for France since making his debut in 2006 but missed out on this summer's World Cup after failing to recover from a chronic back problem.

The 31-year-old has now stated he feels the time is right to allow the younger players on the fringes of the senior side to make the step up as he looks to devote more time to Bayern Munich and his family.

"I find that this is the moment," he told Kicker. "I want to dedicate myself more to my family and concentrate on the tasks at Bayern, and also leave a place in the national team for the many great young players.

"One has to know when to stop. I've seen so much; now it is time for others to move forward.

"There were ups and downs, but now the time has come for a new chapter in my life."

Ribery made his debut under Raymond Domenech in a 1-0 win over Mexico in 2006 and scored 16 goals in all competitions for les Bleus.

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