Bayern Munich's French forward Franck Ribery has moved to clarify his comment, made during the weekend, that he values playing for his club over representing his country.

PA PhotosRibery is in his sixth season at Bayern Munich

• Blog: Bayern grind out win

After scoring in the Bundesliga leaders' 2-0 win over Frankfurt on Saturday, Ribery, who has been at Bayern since 2007, was quoted by Sky as saying: "I've been here six years. Here is always good, I'm happy and I'm having fun. For me it is more important than the national team."

The France international, in his country's squad for the friendly against Italy this week, released a statement to the AFP news agency on Sunday in which he denied he meant what he had said, citing a struggle with the language of his adopted country.

"I love Bayern and I love the France team," he said in the statement. "I may not control German well enough to say things clearly, but it is clear that I don't prefer Bayern over France, or vice versa. It is ridiculous to compare and contrast both. "To hear again the French fans chanting my name after the troubles I've been through, that's amazing. To be perfectly clear, I love Bayern, I love the France team and I am ready to give everything for the one as for the other."

Ribery has scored 11 goals in 69 senior appearances for Les Bleus.