Bayern chairman denies Ribery exit rumours

Ribery was linked with a move away from Bayern Munich all summer (GETTY IMAGES)

Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has rubbished rumours suggesting that a deal has already been agreed to take Franck Ribery to Real Madrid next summer.

The French ace has already denied that an agreement is in place himself and Rummenigge has backed Ribery's view.

He told Munchner Abendzeitung: "We haven't made an agreement with Real Madrid about transferring Franck Ribery in the summer of 2010.

"This is talk which has come from Spain and France, but we will deny it because it's false.

"Nobody believed us back in June when we said Franck wasn't leaving, but we kept our word. He will not leave next year either.

"Real Madrid didn't even mention Franck's name when we were negotiating Arjen Robben's move."

Schalke head coach Felix Magath has backed Brazil wing-back Rafinha to be a key player for the club this season, following recent transfer speculation.

The 23-year-old was heavily linked with a move to Juventus in recent weeks, but has ended up staying put with the Bundesliga club.

Magath told the club's official website: "I've given Rafinha a few days off. Too much fuss has been made about him just recently.

"He needs to come to terms with it all and so we've agreed to give him some time off. That's the best for everyone concerned.

"Then I'm sure we'll see the Rafinha who has given us so much pleasure in the past.

"All we had was a few enquiries from clubs who wanted to exploit our alleged financial difficulties. We aren't in a position where we have to sell players no matter what the price."

Meanwhile, VfB Stuttgart new boy Zdravko Kuzmanovic is relishing a new challenge in Germany, having been allowed to leave Fiorentina before the transfer window slammed shut.

The 21-year-old Serbia midfielder had fallen out of favour with La Viola and was happy to move on for a fresh start.

Kuzmanovic told violanews.it: "They were two-and-a-half very good years, I played often. Then something changed, but I understand why.

"Before the Champions League preliminaries, I was asked if I wanted to stay or go and I asked be sold and the transfer to Stuttgart is a step forward in my career.

"It was time for a new experience and I've always dreamed of playing in the Bundesliga."