It´s going to be hot says lone ranger Ribery

France's Franck Ribery is relishing coming head to head with his Bayern Munich teammate Luca Toni in Tuesday's Euro 2008 Group C decider against Italy.

Ribery and the Azzurri striker enjoyed a superb first season with the Bundesliga giants, but must now place their friendship to one side for 90 minutes as they seek to put their respective countries into the last eight.

“We've been sending a few text messages to each other, but haven't spoken. Luca's the type of player who is always well positioned and is capable of scoring goals against us.”

Ribery burst onto the international stage with a starring role in France's march to the World Cup final two years ago where he was taken under the wing of veterans like Zinedine Zidane and Patrick Vieira.

While at 25 he's hardly no old-timer himself he says his role as the fresh new face in the squad has evolved.

“When I started it was me who listened to the older players, now that I'm around a little longer than some of the others I try and do the same thing.”

The pugnacious midfielder with a killer touch has been one of the bright points in a disappointing campaign that has exposed France's frailties particularly in its aging defence.

Reflecting on last Friday's 4-1 demolition by Holland, France's heaviest loss in almost three decades, Ribery said: “It was very hard to take. We've talked a lot since and said to each other that we're still not finished.

“We'll play to the maximum against Italy and hope it works out.

“We've turned the page after the Dutch game and are now thinking only about Italy.

“It's going to be 'chaud' (hot). We've got to win, we've got to be ready in our heads – it's going to be a great battle.”

Ribery says he's far happier in a free roaming role similar to the one Cristiano Ronaldo fulfils for Portugal.

“I'm someone who likes to move around on the pitch and receive lots of ball.

“I feel liberated, a lot better against the Dutch than in our first game with Romania. But it wasn't enough.

“The coach knows me well, he knows my qualities.

He denied suggestions that there had been friction in the camp following the bitter 4-1 loss to Holland.

“There weren't any problems, no one was angry. We all spoke a lot, we said many things but now we have to die on the pitch and give our all.”

France can still qualify by beating Italy in Zurich and by Romania losing or drawing to Holland.