Bayern Munich sanctions Ribery over insulting tweet

Bayern Munich has fined French forward Franck Ribery over words he posted on social media in response to criticism sparked by a video of him eating a steak covered in gold at a Dubai restaurant, the Bundesliga club announced on Sunday.

The video triggered angry reactions, to which Ribery responded with an insulting tweet, reports Efe.

"FC Bayern Munich has fined Franck Ribery for his choice of words used on social platforms," the German club said in a statement on its website.

"(Ribery) used words which we as FC Bayern Munich cannot accept and which Franck as a role model, as a player of FC Bayern, must never use," the statement cited sports director Hasan Salihamidzic as saying.

"I spoke to Franck for a long time yesterday and told him he would receive a hefty fine. He has accepted this punishment."

The German club dismissed as false claims that the France forward had paid 1,200 euros ($1,367) for the steak, adding that Ribery had been invited to try it at a restaurant "as part of an advertising campaign".

Salihamidzic said Ribery and his family were "savagely attacked" over the video and so he "fought back" publicly, although not in a way approved of by the club.

--IANS

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