Malicious Monday: Congrats to Bayern! But they’ll be without their key man, Franck Ribery, because of this?

Thousands upon thousands of fans celebrated Bayern Munich’s 22nd German championship as the team’s lederhosen-clad players sang and danced on the balcony of the city hall. The festivities took place Sunday, one day after Bayern clinched the Bundesliga title with a 3-1 win at relegated Hertha Berlin. Bayern, led by playmakers Arjen Robben & Franck Ribery, now are on course to win an unbelievable treble as they are in the Champions League final vs. Inter Milan and the German Cup final in Berlin vs. Werder Bremen next Saturday. Coach Louis van Gaal’s team takes on Inter Milan in the Champions League final one week later in Madrid.

Anyway, one of the major stories is that the Bundesliga’s most talented Frenchman, Franck Ribery, is suspended from the Champions League title for a reckless studs-up challenge on Lyon striker Lisandro Lopez in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final in Munich. Ribery has received a three-game ban for the “stomp”. While I’m not sure a straight red was warranted, I am certain that Lucio, Zanetti, Walter Samuel, Chivu, and the rest of the Inter defence will be happy to see their French counterpart merely watching the final from the stands of the Bernabeu.