Ribery Row

For most football players, a call up to the national squad is a dream come true. For French midfielder Franck Ribery, it would be something of a nightmare.

The 31-year-old Bayern attacker has said he would prefer to concentrate on his club duties rather than extending his career with Les Bleus. But according to the statute of soccer's world governing body, the decision about whether or not to play rests with the national coach and not with the player himself.

"Franck cannot decide himself whether he plays for France," UEFA president Michel Platini told two German newspapers on Sunday. "If (French national coach) Didier Deschamps picks him, he must come. That's the FIFA rule. If he doesn't come, he will be suspended for three Bayern Munich games."

Ribery missed the 2014 World Cup with a back injury. During the tournament, rumors surfaced that his national career could be over, as France looking to bring more young players into the squad ahead of the 2016 European Championships, which they've already qualified for as the host nation.

National teams usually honor players' decisions to retire, although in 2005, then France coach Raymong Domeneche did force midfielder Claude Makelele to play for his country. That led Makele's club coach, the ever demure José Mourinho, to accuse Domenech of treating the player "like a slave."