https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from France in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Franck Ribery, who retired from international football this week, was supposed to be the natural heir to Zinedine Zidane for Les Bleus, but despite a promising start he failed to live up to expectations. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140814/franck-ribery-france-les-bleus Thu, 14 Aug 2014 10:56:24 +0200 franck-ribery-france-les-bleus France forward Franck Ribéry, aged 31, announced his shock retirement from international football on Wednesday. The Bayern Munich player, who missed the World Cup with injury, said "the moment has come". https://www.thelocal.fr/20140813/franck-ribery-retires-from-international-football Wed, 13 Aug 2014 20:13:00 +0200 franck-ribery-retires-from-international-football A French court has dropped charges against Franck Ribéry and Karim Benzema, who were accused of knowingly having sex with an underage prostitute. The pair had faced lengthy prison sentences if convicted, so the decision is good news for French World Cup hopes. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140130/charges-dropped-in-ribery-benzema-call-girl-case Thu, 30 Jan 2014 14:54:00 +0100 charges-dropped-in-ribery-benzema-call-girl-case The criminal charges against French football stars Franck Ribéry and Karim Benzema were hanging by a thread on Wednesday. A surprise move may mean an abrupt end to the accusations the men had sex with a teenage prostitute. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140122/zahia-dehar-ribery-benzema-sex-prosecution-charges Wed, 22 Jan 2014 18:58:00 +0100 zahia-dehar-ribery-benzema-sex-prosecution-charges France international forward Franck Ribéry has been shortlisted for this year's Ballon d'Or, along with Argentinian and Portugese superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. https://www.thelocal.fr/20131209/ribery-shortlisted-for-ballon-dor-messi-ronaldo-football-france Mon, 09 Dec 2013 15:08:00 +0100 ribery-shortlisted-for-ballon-dor-messi-ronaldo-football-france The goal-drought is finally over. After five matches without scoring France finally found the net on Tuesday, when they came from behind to beat Belarus 4-2 in a their World Cup qualifier. France are now level with Spain at the the top of the group. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130911/france-end-goal-drought-to-beat-belarus Wed, 11 Sep 2013 10:41:57 +0200 france-end-goal-drought-to-beat-belarus France go into their crucial World Cup qualifier against Belarus on Tuesday in desperate need of a win. But first things first, what Les Bleus require more than anythign is just a goal after failing to hit the net in five matches. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130910/france-in-desperate-need-of-a-goal Tue, 10 Sep 2013 11:07:00 +0200 france-in-desperate-need-of-a-goal French football stars Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema, went on trial on Tuesday, accused of paying to have sex with then underage call-girl Zahia Dehar. The process was adjourned until January, however, on a legal technicality. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130618/footballers-on-trial-over-underage-call-girl Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:02:00 +0200 footballers-on-trial-over-underage-call-girl Bayern Munich have given their backing to embattled France winger Franck Ribéry, after he and compatriot Karim Benzema were sent for trial for allegedly soliciting an under-age prostitute. https://www.thelocal.fr/20120815/bayern-munich-backs-ribery-over-sex-charges Wed, 15 Aug 2012 20:00:29 +0200 bayern-munich-backs-ribery-over-sex-charges French international footballers Franck Ribéry and Karim Benzema are to face trial for allegedly soliciting an underage prostitute, judicial sources said on Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20120814/ribery-and-benzema-charged-over-teen-prostitute Tue, 14 Aug 2012 19:20:00 +0200 ribery-and-benzema-charged-over-teen-prostitute