Ribery: I must control temper against Dortmund

The attacker says the weekend's match is "very, very important", while indicating that talks over a new deal are "not looking bad"

Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery admits he must stay in control of his temper when the Bundesliga leaders face Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.

The experienced former France international has been scrutinised for much of this season for failing to keep his frustrations in check.

Head coach Carlo Ancelotti criticised Ribery for clashing with Felipe Melo in pre-season against Inter, while similar incidents involving Hamburg's Nicolai Muller and Dortmund youngster Felix Passlack have prompted further questions over his temperament.

And the 33-year-old concedes that he will need to toe the line when the champions meet Thomas Tuchel's side at Signal Iduna Park.

​"​A match against Dortmund is always emotional," he told TZ. "But that's no problem. I know I have to control myself in these situations.

"The match is important, the atmosphere is tense and the fans want to see our best performance. You have to try and not let yourself to be bothered by that too much.​

​"​It is very, very important for us. A match against Dortmund is like a derby - the pressure is always huge.​"​

Bayern issued a denial on Thursday after it was claimed that Ribery had agreed a new contract to keep him at the Allianz Arena until 2018.

The former Marseille winger says negotiations are progressing well but stopped short of saying whether an agreement will be reached.

"​It's not looking bad, but I can't say how the solution will look in the end," he said, before adding: "Bayern and I are like a couple.​"​

More games: friv

Robben, Ribery could have Bayern futures if they retain fitness and form

Bayern Munich's 3-0 win over Hertha Berlin on Wednesday served as a powerful reminder that the old guard are not yet ready to call it a day.

After Franck Ribery scored the Bavarians' opener, substitute Arjen Robben grabbed the third seven minutes after coming on and men both were the talk of the town following a performance deemed "the best of the season" by Bayern coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Robben's 78th goal for the Reds, which came via his signature move -- a curling shot into the top corner signature shot after cutting in from the right -- put him level with fellow Dutchman Roy Makaay as the Bayern's third-leading foreign scorer in the Bundesliga, behind Giovane Elber and Claudio Pizarro.

It was Robben's first competitive appearance in six months after multiple adductor injuries and the Allianz Arena greeted his return with a standing ovation.

"It was a very nice moment for me," the 32-year-old said. "I have to thank [the supporters] for it. It made me think about all the things I did to come back. Today was a reward for all the hard work."

Time will tell whether Robben can continue to be a factor for Bayern this season -- "It would be nice if Arjen didn't get injured, was always there and played throughout a number of years," said captain Philipp Lahm -- but there can be no doubt about the importance that he and Ribery, the winger duo dubbed "Robbery" by the local press, hold in the Ancelotti set-up.

The Italian coach trusts creative players to come up with solutions in the final third and the individualistic streak that runs through the game of Robben and Ribery game is not just indulged but encouraged.

The Frenchman, who had felt hemmed in by Pep Guardiola's exacting instructions (and a little unloved, due to the Catalan's business-like relationship with players), clearly enjoys his renewed licence to roam freely. Robben, meanwhile, can concentrate on taking up that favourite position of his, wide on the right, coiled for the classic cut back in onto his left foot.

In addition, the two mavericks benefit from a slightly more reactive set-up under Ancelotti. Bayern press less and start attacks from deeper positions, which leaves them more space to run into.

Franck Ribery, left, joined Bayern Munich in 2007, two years before Arjen Robben, right.

"It's important to have [Robben and Ribery] available now that the big games are coming," Ancelotti said on Wednesday night. The 57-year-old knows all about extending the lifespan of experienced pros from his time at Milan, having coached the likes of Paolo Maldini, Clarence Seedorf and others into their mid-30s with great success.

One of the secrets to that was Ancelotti not rushing his players and keeping pressure and work levels in check. Robben hinted at "clever people" in the coaching set-up making sure he didn't come back to early. Guardiola's infamous impatience with injured players has given way to a much more cautious approach under Ancelotti when it comes to rehabilitation.

A couple of months ago, those tasked with recalibrating the Bayern squad for the post-Robben, post-Lahm and post-Ribery years, were working under the assumption that only one of the two wide forwards would be kept on beyond next summer; Robben and Ribery, who are in their eighth season of playing together, are out of contract in June.

Attempts to have four suitable replacements for next season are under way: Douglas Costa and Kingsley Coman were bought last summer, while Bayer 04 Leverkusen's Julian Brandt and Serge Gnabry of Werder Bremen are under intense observation, along with half a dozen other contenders based outside Germany.

Ribery's strong performances have altered the club's thinking, however. If he and Robben stay healthy, they could both get one-year extensions, in recognition of past deeds and future prospects. Renewals with two fan favourites and veterans would also perfectly fit the "family ethos" espoused by Uli Hoeness, who is set to return as Bayern president in November.

Xabi Alonso can also harbour hopes of third year at Bayern; everyone at Sabener Strasse raves about the Spaniard's professional attitude and intelligence. Contract talks with the trio should start just before Christmas, when their contributions under Ancelotti -- as well as the progress of youngsters like Coman, Joshua Kimmich and Renato Sanches -- can be more fully evaluated.

In the meantime, the German champions believe that the uncertainty will act as a powerful incentive for "Robbery" in particular to perform well and earn new deals. There's a limited market for both and multiple-year offers by other clubs of a similar standing at their current wage levels -- each earns well in excess of €10 million annually -- are unlikely.

The wingers wouldn't be the first professionals to find consistency ahead of signing a contract extension. Bayern still have a need for them, both on the pitch as game changers and as big-name players providing competition for places.

Ancelotti's laissez faire regime needs to be offset by internal pressure and ambition, for fear of things becoming just a little too comfortable. Thus, the sight of Robben and Ribery tearing up the wings, as if it was 2013, is most welcome in that respect.

Coman is Euro 2016's fastest player

According the UEFA's statistics, Kingsley Coman is the fastest player at the Euro 2016 just ahead of Josh Maegennis of Northern Ireland and Emre Mor of Turkey.

The Bayern winger has had a breakthrough season in the Bundesliga while also shinning in the Champions League.

The youngster had to compete for minutes at club level with the likes of Arjen Robben, Douglas Costa and fellow French man Franck Ribery, while the Frenchman was a surprise inclusion in Deschamps' squad with the former Juventus manager choosing him over the likes of Hatem Ben Arfa or Mathieu Valbuena after impressing in friendly games.

The young forward will probably be on the bench for France's next game against Ireland on Sunday at the Stade de France as Dimitri Payet and Antoine Griezmann are more likely to start, but his pace makes the 19-year-old increasingly likely to come off the bench against tired legs.

Bayern Munich should sell Franck Ribery as soon as possible

The 32-year-old Frenchmen is a chronic injury risk and at some point that uncertainty costs Bayern Munich.

When healthy, Franck Ribery is still one of the best footballers in the world. His acumen on the dribble is second-to-none, his passing is sublime, and his directness for goal injects his teams with furiosity in attack. Then again, all of that skill comes with the caveat of "when healthy".

And Franck Ribery hasn't been healthy in nearly three years and it's starting to affect Bayern Munich. His minor-that-became-major injury from last March cost him nine months and he still wasn't fully fit when he returned. Injury followed and that's now cost him another nearly three months as he's not due to return until sometime in February, according to Kicker.

When Arjen Robben and Douglas Costa went down with injury in the Hinrunde, Bayern Munich were left with their sole healthy winger in young, inexperienced Kingsley Coman. As part of a diverse attack, Coman is a wonderful player but when he was asked to be the main foci of breaking down opposition defenses he struggled. And the reason he was left to his own devices? Because functionally Bayern Munich's depth equation is incomplete because they are planning that part of their roster around uncertainty. And who can blame them when it's a talent as prodigious as Ribery?

Like it or not, Costa, Robben, and Coman are going to get injured. It's the nature of the game and Bayern Munich need a secondary option that's reliable. Whether that's a depth option like Patrick Weihrauch or Julian Green or another young player in the mold of Kingsley Coman, Bayern Munich need depth that can be counted on to be there when the rest of the core is down.

And when counting on Bayern youth products Bayern Munich need to be able to realistically assess their contributions and make a determination as to whether they have a long term future. That involves giving them 10-20 minutes run outs in Bundesliga games and not dropping those minutes on trying to get Franck Ribery back to fitness.

As we saw this off season, this is a team starting their transition. The departure of Bastian Schweinsteiger was in some ways a benchmark for massive changes. Pep Guardiola's tenure is coming to an end soon and Carlo Ancelotti is going to have some serious choices to make about this team's structure. And you have to start that transition somewhere and removing a €12M chronically injured budget eater is a good place to start. Ribery's place on the roster is dead weight that robs Bayern Munich of the opportunity to bring in his successor and creates rippling issues when injuries occur to the rest of Bayern Munich's wide players.

With Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid staring 12-month transfer bans in the face next month, and a host of English clubs potentially in the same boat, the market for a temporary 32-year-old winger of Ribery's pedigree has probably never been higher. With Guardiola leaving in six months and Ancelotti coming in, now, or soon, is the time window in which Bayern Munich should be moving. They could regret it if Ribery returns to full fitness and has no more injury issues, but there's always inherent risk when making a decision about a player of Ribery's skill. But he's cost Bayern Munich so much over the last two years just due to uncertainty that at some point moving on becomes necessary.

CHELSEA LOOK FOR SOLACE IN EUROPE

Chelsea will host Maccabi Tel Aviv in its Champions League Group G opener on Wednesday, needing a win to take some pressure off manager Jose Mourinho.

The Blues have lost three of its opening five games — the latest a 3-1 loss to Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday — and is languishing in 17th spot in the domestic competition.

Only four months ago, he was lifting the Premier League title at Stamford Bridge for the third time as Chelsea cruised to its fourth championship, eight points ahead of runner-up Manchester City. Now, the Blues already trail Manuel Pellegrini’s side by 11.

Owner Roman Abramovich runs the club discreetly but he is impatient for success and a dispute with Mourinho was a factor in his departure the first time around in 2007.

So when the Blues take on the Israeli club,  Chelsea is expected to win comfortably and anything other than an assured display will only heighten the pressure on Mourinho.

Eden Hazard, Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas were cornerstones of Chelsea’s premier league-winning team but their low performance levels so far this season have been a contributing factor to the club’s woeful start.

Mourinho could be tempted to rotate his team, with Loic Remy in attack and Brazil international Oscar pushing to replace Hazard. With a clash against fierce London rival Arsenal on Saturday, it is important for Chelsea to quickly return to winning ways.

Porto, which Mourinho led to the Champions League title in 2004, take on and Dynamo Kiev in other group game.

Iker Casillas has played 152 games in Europe’s top club competition in a Real Madrid shirt. His 153rd appearance will be in FC Porto’s colors.

The 34-year-old Spain goalkeepermoved to Portugal in the summer. He has conceded two goals in four Portuguese league games so far and Porto shares top spot. However Porto’s coach Julen Lopetegui will serve a touchline ban when they travel to the Ukrainian capital.

Barca travel to Rome

ROME: When Lionel Messi and Barcelona open their Champions League title defense at Roma on Wednesday, the Giallorossi will be eager to show they can no longer be pushed around by European powers.

“Barcelona is an immense club, the defending champion, they’ve won their first three Liga matches, but there’s no point in saying great things about this squad,” Roma coach Rudi Garcia said.

Roma has had a strong start to Serie A, beating last season’s Champions League runner-up Juventus 2-1, and showing strong potential with an impressive array of new players in Edin Dzeko, Iago Falque, Mohamed Salah, and Wojciech Szczesny. But Garcia will be without key playmaker Miralem Pjanic due to a right calf strain.

Bayer Leverkusen hosts BATE Borisov in the other Group E match.

Lionel Messi is set to make his 100th appearance in the Champions League and look to add to his record 77 goals in the competition — a mark he shares with Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo.

Barcelona is without Dani Alves.

Meanwhile, Bayern Munich begins the quest for its sixth European Cup at Olympiakos on Wednesday, while Arsenal opens its 18th successive Champions League campaign at Dinamo Zagreb.

Dinamo, back in the competition after a two-year absence, is on a 41-game unbeaten streak across all competitions. The Croatian champion has never previously qualified from the group stage in four previous attempts.

Bayern, the 2013 champion, is also hoping to go at least one stage further after semifinal exits the past two seasons.

Pep Guardiola’s tenure as Bayern coach will be judged on success in Europe this season, likely his last with the Bavarian club.

After taking over Jupp Heynckes’ treble winning side in 2013, Guardiola has enjoyed overwhelming Bundesliga success while crashing out in successive seasons to eventual champions in the Champions League semifinals. Last May’s 5-3 aggregate loss to Barcelona was at least an improvement on the 5-0 defeat to Real Madrid the previous year.

Now in the final year of his contract, with no indication yet of whether he will extend, Guardiola is under pressure to lead Bayern to its sixth European title in his third attempt.

Wingers Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery are ruled out through injury, while attacking midfielder Mario Goetze should have overcome a muscle strain that kept him out of action Saturday.

ARSENAL’S STRIKING ISSUE

London: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger came under intense scrutiny from the English media for not signing a striker in the summer transfer window, with doubts about Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud’s ability to consistently deliver at the highest level and Danny Welbeck out until Christmas with a knee injury.

But Walcott and Giroud vindicated Wenger on Saturday, each finding the back of the net against Stoke to lead Arsenal to a 2-0 win, its first at home this season.