Germany: Bayern face struggle to keep Franck Ribery

( REUTERS/Nacho Doce )

Bayern Munich general manager Uli Hoeness has admitted that his club face a "brutal fight" to try and keep hold of French star Franck Ribery next summer.

The 26-year-old is a reported target for a number of top clubs across Europe, with Hoeness fearing a bidding war for the talented playmaker.

"Our aim is to do everything to keep him, but it will be a brutal fight," He told Bild. "For sure there will be questions coming in for him and so it is important that we do not budge and express ourselves very clearly so as to keep him.

"If there is unrest then the advisers are waiting for their chance. Agents are making money when players are transferred and not when they play for years at one club."

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Germany coach Joachim Low was reasonably pleased with his side’s 4-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Liechtenstein in Leipzig.

Goals from Michael Ballack, Marcell Jansen, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Lukas Podolski gave Germany a comfortable win and kept them in charge of qualifying Group Four.

Low said afterwards: "We fulfilled the task we had. It was a committed performance from my team and I am happy. We had a good start to both halves, but after that we saw less up front. However, in any case, it was a good display before we play Wales."

Liechtenstein coach Hans-Peter Zaugg added: "It was a highly deserved victory for Germany. After 50 minutes it was 4-0 and, therefore, I have to compliment my team for not crumbling and being thrashed. We can live with 4-0. At home we lost 6-0 with my best team and this time, despite a number of absentees, we have gained a respectable result."