PARIS: Franck Ribery on Thursday threatened to quit German giants Bayern Munich unless they qualify for the Champions League next season as the defending Bundesliga champions struggle to defend their title. Bayern are third in the German league, three points behind leaders Wolfsburg, and must finish in the top two to be guaranteed a Champions League place next season. A third place finish would mean they would have to play the qualification rounds and Frenchman Ribery says failure to reach the top tier of European domestic competition would mean he would be looking to leave.

“It would be surely difficult for me to remain, if this goal is not achieved,” he told L’Equipe. Ribery, who is under contract at Bayern until 2011, has already made no secret of his desire to play for Barcelona and dropped several hints when the Spanish giants dumped Munich out of the Champions League quarter-finals.