Bayern warns Madrid of FIFA complaint over Ribery

MADRID (AP) Bayern Munich will report Real Madrid to FIFA if the Spanish team continues to pursue of Franck Ribery, the Bundesliga club said Friday.

Madrid and Barcelona have been in pursuit of the France winger, but persistent comments by Zinedine Zidane - who is working as a special adviser to Madrid president Florentino Perez - seemed to irk the Germans.

"Everybody is speaking about Ribery's transfer. Above all, Zidane says 'blah, blah, blah ...' It seems a lack of respect to us," Bayern manager Uli Hoeness told sports daily AS on Friday. "I want to be clear. We will report them to FIFA if things continue this way. This is not the way to do things."

Hoeness said that Bayern hadn't taken the case to FIFA because of good relations with Perez and director general Jorge Valdano. Ribery has so far refused to speak on the matter.

"We never wanted to listen to Madrid because, to us, Ribery has never been for sale," Hoeness said. "I've never been worried. Not me, not anyone else. Since the start there's never been a Ribery theme."

Hoeness said the situation would not lead Bayern to re-negotiate Ribery's contract, which is due to expire in 2011.

"Madrid's way of acting is incredible," Bayern coach Louis van Gaal said. "But everyone remembers how the last presidency of Florentino Perez ended."

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson previously complained - unsuccessfully - to FIFA over Madrid's pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo, who was eventually signed by Perez as part of the Spanish powerhouse's 214 million ($302 million) spending spree this offseason.