France`s star winger Franck Ribery said he refused a cortisone injection that French experts claim could have saved his World Cup place because he believed it was bad for him.
|Last Updated: Jun 15, 2014, 11:58 AM IST|Source: AFP
Rio de Janeiro: France`s star winger Franck Ribery said he refused a cortisone injection that French experts claim could have saved his World Cup place because he believed it was bad for him.
Ribery`s comments deepened a battle between the French camp and Bayern Munich on the eve of the country`s opening World Cup Group E match against Honduras.
"It`s not good," Ribery said of the cortisone steroid injection that French team doctor Franck Le Gall had wanted him to take to ease his crippling back pain.
Le Gall said on Thursday that Ribery had withdrawn from the squad because he was afraid of injections.
The Bayern Munich and German national team doctor Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt retorted the next day that Ribery would be playing at the World Cup if France had used his calf`s blood extract. The product used by the German doctor is banned in France.
The 31-year-old Bayern winger said he had simply refused the cortisone injection.
"I am not scared of injections. But I did not want to be injected with cortisone by the French doctor," Ribery told the SID sports agency of Germany, an affiliate of AFP, in a written statement. "I know it is not good," he added.
"You can believe me," he said "my career is going to continue longer" without the cortisone.
Ribery gave strong support to Muller-Wohlfahrt whose treatment protocol came under attack from the French medical staff.
Muller-Wohlfahrt is currently on duty with the German team at the Brazil World Cup.
"It is injust. I cannot accept the criticism of Dr Muller-Wohlfahrt," said Ribery.
"I have been at Bayern for seven years and and I have complete trust in `Mull`," he added.
"He has always helped me. He does things correctly. Without him I don`t know if I would be playing football as I do. It is the same for Arjen Robben", the Bayern and Netherlands winger.
"He has been injured so often and he owes it to Muller-Wohlfahrt that he can play without problems now and has started the World Cup in such a sensational way," Ribery said.
"That, we -- and a lot of other players as well -- owe it to Muller-Wohlfahrt."
The German doctor sent the French team all the documents about Ribery`s injury and and also offered to treat him, Ribery said. "It was refused," he added.
Le Gall said that Bayern Munich used too many injections in its treatment of players and that this had made Ribery "afraid of injections."
Muller-Wohlfahrt, one of the world`s leading sports medicine specialists, who has treated sprinter Usain Bolt among others, answered Friday in a statement released by his lawyer.
He said he had sent all the documents about Ribery`s injury and discussed his "point of view" about Ribery`s problems with the French staff.
Muller-Wohlfahrt has made his name using Actovegin, a highly filtered extract from calf`s blood.
Actovegin is allowed by the World Anti-Doping Agency.The product is banned in France.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.