'King of Allianz Arena' Franck Ribery to leave Bayern Munich

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Bayern Munich of Bundesliga confirmed Sunday that 36-year-old Franck Ribery will leave the club as his contract comes due after the 2018-19 season.

"Franck Ribery will not extend his contract with FC Bayern, and will leave this summer. Thank you for everything, Franck (crown emoji)," posted Bayern Munich on Twitter.

According to Goal's Ronan Murphy, the French winger want to continue his soccer career but has no confirmed future plan yet.

"When I came to Bayern, it was a dream come true. It won't be easy to say goodbye, but we must never forget what we've achieved together. I won more than 20 trophies and, of course, I hope we can add another Bundesliga title and the DFB-Pokal at the end of this season. The fans know I have heart and that I'm honest, we always had a good relationship. It's incredible to think I was here for 12 years and it's tough for me and the fans, but we cannot forget all the things we experienced together," said Ribery.

Franck Ribery (L) and Arjen Robben of Bayern Munich during a game against Fortuna Duesseldorf at Allianz Arena, November 24, 2018. /VCG Photo

Since Arjen Robben in December 2018 announced that he will leave the German club after this season, the two stars, who have made Europe's best winger partnership "Robbery" in the past decade, are finally saying goodbye to their era.

"Franck and Arjen are great players. FC Bayern owes a lot to both of them and we will give them a wonderful and emotional farewell. They've helped shape FC Bayern's most successful decade with fantastic football," said Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Bayern's chairman.

Ribery joined the club in 2007 from Ligue 1's Marseille and that deal cost Bayern 25 million euros (about 28 million U.S. dollars), which was a record back then. He played 46 games for the club in his first season, scoring 19 goals and 20 assists and helping Bayern win the Bundesliga tile.

Franck Ribery wins Bundesliga title (bottom L), DFB-Pokal championship (bottom R) and UEFA Champions League trophy (top C) for Bayern Munich in the 2012-13 season. /VCG Photo

After a disappointing 2008-09 season, Ribery met his best partner in Germany, Dutch winger Robben. Together the two became Bayern's sharpest blades on the field, making every opponent worry about their defense.

Of the two, Ribery has played total 422 games for Bayern in which he scored 123 goals and 183 assists. He's the true King of the Allianz Arena with eight Bundesliga titles, five DFB-Pokal championships, one DFB-Ligapokal title, four DFL-Supercup championships, one UEFA Super Cup, one FIFA Club World Cup and most importantly, the 2012-13 UEFA Champions League trophy.