Ribery awarded 340,000 euros by Swiss court

Bayern Munich's France midfielder Franck Ribery will receive 340,000 euros (487,000 US dollars) from his former agent after a ruling by the Swiss Federal Court in Lausanne on Wednesday.

Germany sports agency SID reported the court upheld an earlier ruling that Ribery, 25, was entitled to cancel a contract with former agent Bruno Heiderscheid just before his transfer from Marseille to Bayern Munich in June 2007.

Luxembourg-based Heiderscheid had complained to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) claiming Ribery broke his contract and should pay him damages.

But the Lausanne-based CAS, the world's highest court of appeal for sport, ruled last April that because of a previous conviction in 2000, Heiderscheid's criminal record meant his contract with Ribery signed in 2005 was null and void.

The hearing was held under French law, which insists agents must have a clean record to hold a sports licence.

The CAS ruled Ribery must be compensated 340,000 euros in fees already paid to the agent.

Although Heiderschied appealed the decision, the Swiss Federal Tribunal upheld the CAS ruling and announced the decision on Wednesday.

Ribery, currently recovering from ankle surgery, was named German footballer of the year for 2007-08 after leading Bayern to the Bundesliga title.