Franck Ribery, Bayern Munich sign contract extension through 2017

After reportedly reaching a verbal agreement on a new contract earlier in the month, Bayern Munich and Franck Ribery finally put pen to paper today. The new contract will add two additional years onto his current deal, meaning Ribery will remain in Munich through the summer of 2017.

Ribery turned 30 in April, so if he plays out the full contract in Munich, he'll be 34 at the end of the deal. This would likely be the end of his footballing career, at least at the top levels in Europe. Previously, Ribery had expressed a desire to see out the remainder of his career in Munich, and it now appears that he'll be able to do it

This should put an end to any speculation that Ribery is not the kind of player that would fit with Pep Guardiola. While the manager is obviously not the end-all be-all when it comes to player transfers and contract extensions, there is little doubt in my mind that the board would've made the move to retain Ribery long term without Pep's approval.

After his spectacular 2012-2013 campaign where he finished with 11 goals and 22 assists in all competitions, expectations will be high for Ribery heading into the upcoming season. After winning the treble, one would think there's no room for improvement, but that's not the case. There is always room for improvement. Here's hoping for another great season from Ribery in 2013-2014.