You've fully and absolutely deserved becoming Europe's Footballer of the Year 2013. You were the best! I'm insanely happy for you - just like I was happy about Bastian Schweinsteiger being Germany's Footballer of the Year - and congratulate you from the depths of my heart. It means a whole lot to me to see a former player of mine rewarded with such a recognition, since in previous years we walked the same way almost daily and built a special connection since then. I always knew you were a player who needs to feel loved where you are, who needs the confidence of the coach.
In this time you've grown enormously as a human being and especially as a professional football player. Your attitude was insanely professional through and through. Of course we had our feuds during our time working together, after the defeat against Chelsea in the Champions League Final of 2012 I told you - as well as Arjen Robben - that everyone had to work towards the back if we wanted to achieve something big. I threatened you with the bench.
You told me you were a team player, and implemented the changes in an exemplary manner. You wanted success for the entire team and always invested your great individual prowess into the success of the collective. You did everything so that everything in the team went well and are renowned and loved by all. Because of the success of the collective you've accomplished this recognition, for your unselfish attitude you have been praised.
By achieving this you've also paid back on a sporting level not only the entire club, but also one of your biggest defenders, Uli Hoeneß, for all the support and confidence FC Bayern gave you in times of difficulty. In these past years you've matured in character and have internalized that you have to work focused and hard in order to achieve your maximum level possible.
Because you've always possessed extraordinary football abilities. You are a player for whom the people go to the stadium. You played on the streets when you were young and preserved this street footballer mentality. This youth, this spontaneity, this instinct, this football intelligence have shaped your rousing style, your entire way of playing. These fascinating dribbles which the fans cheer so much are the most explosive manifestation of your intuition, of the joy you get from playing, of your creativity; the experience achieved throughout the year additionally enrichens your game, with a better overall view, with more tranquility.
In the previous season you brought all of these marvellous qualities to FC Bayern in a most profitable manner, and hence have been rightly raised to the status of Europe's greatest. The Bundesliga should be proud that, for the first time since Matthias Sammer in 1996, one of its players was awarded this great honor.
Once again my most heartfelt congratulation to you, Franck!
