Ribery starting afresh

Ribery: Endured troubled 2010

Franck Ribery is glad to see the back of 2010 and is determined to make amends for the mistakes he has made.

The France international endured a turbulent 12 months last year, with events on and off the field conspiring against him.

The Bayern Munich playmaker struggled for form on the pitch, while scandal in his private life saw him dominate the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

However, Ribery believes he is through the dark days and is hoping 2011 will allow him to wipe the slate clean and reclaim his standing towards the top of European football's elite.

"It was a very hard year with many difficulties. But now a new one is starting," he told Kicker.

"I will not be making again the mistakes I made in 2010. I learned a lot in 2010 and changed a few things."

Ribery's woes last season were compounded by niggling knocks, preventing him from making the desired impact at Bayern.

Mature

He, along with his international team-mates, also failed to scale the heights at the 2010 World Cup, with a shambolic showing from France in South Africa seeing them crash out at the group stage.

Having also been caught up in scandal away from football, it was not the finest year for the talented 27-year-old.

Ribery is convinced that better times lie ahead, though, and is confident Bayern and France will soon see the best of him once more.

He added: "I have changed. I have become more mature and have other priorities now.

"My family is more important to me now. It became clear to me in the past year that the glittering world of football has little to do with real life.

"The real Ribery is on his way back."