Will controversial legend Franck Ribery join Dante to coach Bayern Munich’s U-23s?
A return of Franck Ribéry could be as controversial as a potential Boateng return would have been.
MUNICH, GERMANY - JANUARY 18: Frank Ribery FC Bayern München reacts during the FC Bayern Legends Cup at SAP Garden on January 18, 2026 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Stefan Matzke - sampics/Getty Images) | Getty Images Florian Plettenberg’s report that 42-year-old Dante Bonfirm is set to retire from his playing career at OGC Nice and immediately return to Bayern Munich as U-23 manager was already quite shocking. But the surprises do not end there.
Dante may not be the only 2013 treble winner that returns to the club in the summer, as Bild (as captured by @iMiaSanMia ) reports Franck Ribéry could be next: Dante could bring Franck Ribéry as his new FCB II assistant coach next season. The rumour has been circulating around the Bayern Campus for some time and is now gaining momentum. Ribéry is said to be open to a comeback to FC Bayern.
It remains to be seen whether that will materialize in the end. The Frenchman retired from football in 2022 at Italian club Salernitana before joining the club’s backroom staff until 2024 and joining Italian Football Federation technical center Coverciano to study for his coaching badges. Once he earned his UEFA A license, which allows him to coach women’s teams and men’s teams up until the third division, he left Salernitana and started studying full time at Coverciano.
As recently as February of 2026, GOAL. com captured his comments on Bayern’s 6-1 first leg win over Atalanta in the Champions League. More importantly, the former Olympique Marseille player spoke of his future in coaching.