Dybala and Ribery pay tribute to Benatia

Mehdi Benatia

, who used to play for

and

, announced his retirement on Thursday, and now his former teammates

Frank Ribery

and

have joined the group of players who have paid tribute to the African footballer who won many trophies in his career.

The Argentinian has sent a big heart emoji to his former teammate, just like Frank Ribery, who has also sent greetings to the former Bayern and Juve defender.

Juventus’ former star

, who used to be teammates with Benatia, has also sent him a note insisting that he should be proud of his achievements in football.

"What a career, my brother. I remember those days at [French national football center] Clairefontaine where we began to dream of being a professional footballer, but by dint of work you did much more than that. Incredible clubs, captain of a nation and having won a good number of titles, you can only be proud brother."

Manchester United defender Eric Bailly joined in the praise, writing:

"Bravo capitano. Great man, great career, very good player and finally an example

.<em>

"

Announcing his decision to retire, Benatia said:

"From a young age I had only one dream, to become a professional footballer. To get there, I had to force myself to work hard, make sacrifices, but above all set new goals at each stage of my career.

"This job has also allowed me to defend and represent my country, Morocco, with whom I have experienced unforgettable moments... in particular the 2018 World Cup."

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