Krong Angkor

Ribery set to decide Bayern future: agent

BERLIN (AFP) - Bayern Munich star Franck Ribery will decide in the next eight weeks whether or not to stay with the German giants, his agent said Wednesday.

Ribery, 26, has a contract at Bayern until June 2011 but after a series of top class displays for Munich he has been linked to some of Europe's top sides, including Spanish giants Real Madrid.

Although Ribery has struggled with a knee injury since October, he is working his way back to fitness and is widely regarded, alongside Bayern team-mate Arjen Robben, as one of the most creative players in the Bundesliga.

"Franck has a contract until 2011 and so Bayern hold all the cards in their hands," Ribery's agent Alain Migliaccio told German daily newspaper Bild on Wednesday.

"Before we meet with (Bayern's chief executive Karl-Heinz) Rummenigge, (president Uli) Hoeness and (director of sport Christian) Nerlinger, nothing will happen."

Migliaccio also confirmed Nerlinger's rejection of reports that Ribery had been given an ultimatum by Bayern to prolong his contract before the end of March.

"The story about the ultimatum is absolute nonsense, nobody has given Franck an ultimatum," he said.

"We are waiting to see what the club wants to do."

Ribery has won 41 caps and scored seven goals for France and looks set to be a star of the 2010 World Cup which takes place in South Africa from June 11-July 11.