Thursday 15th July 2021
Vaarwel – but really now !?
Robben puts an end to it (now probably for good)
This time there is really no resignation from the resignation: Arjen Robben is hanging up his football boots. His “football heart” still wanted to go on. But the body can no longer. It is one of the best that the Bundesliga has ever been allowed to admire and curse on the pitch.
Power dribbling. The ball is held tightly on the left foot. Everyone knows what’s coming now. Every defender, every spectator. Nobody can stop him. Arjen Robben makes this small, incredibly fast movement to the left inwards, the opponent looks, steps and runs into space. Then the end of the goal, with brilliant left of the right corner of the penalty area in the left corner of the goal. Untenable.
The number 10 makes “the seal”. Every football fan knows what is meant, everyone has cheered, shook their heads, cursed over one of those many seal goals of that kind. The Dutchman is now (probably) giving up his football boots for good: “Dear football friends,” the 37-year-old long-time Bayern Munich professional wrote in a statement, “I have decided to end my active football career. It was a difficult decision . I would like to thank everyone for their heartwarming support! “
Robben said goodbye in 2019 after ten successful years at FC Bayern and returned to his hometown club FC Groningen after a one-year break. “I approached this adventure with a lot of energy and great enthusiasm. However, I quickly had to deal with physical setbacks,” continued Robben. It was a “very difficult decision”, continued Robben, “because understanding and emotions faced each other. The football heart wanted to continue, especially with a view of a full stadium.”
A calf injury put the veteran out of action for a long time, and Robben only made seven competitive appearances in Groningen last season. His contract expired in the summer. In May 2013 he gave Bayern the triple with the 2-1 winner in the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund. In 2009, in his debut season with FC Bayern, Robben immediately scored 16 goals and seven assists (one goal every 111 minutes, one scorer point every 77 minutes!). In total, the Dutchman shot 144 in 308 games for the record champions and assisted 101 times.
Robben formed the wing tongs with Franck Ribéry at FC Bayern for a decade and shaped an era for the record champions. “Robbery” has long been one of the best that Europe had to offer. But not everyone was a fan of the Dutchman. It was often “too” easy for neutral observers – and especially for supporters of the opposing team. But that was Robben too: winning by all means.
And Robben won almost everything in his world career: eight championships in the Bundesliga, two in the Premier League with Chelsea, one in La Liga with Real Madrid and one in Holland with PSV Eindhoven, where he went from his in 2002 as an 18-year-old Home club FC Groningen changed. The profit-greedy also took five DFB Cup and Supercup victories with him.
Robben played for Oranje in a total of 96 international matches and scored 37 goals. At FC Groningen he made his professional debut at the tender age of 16. Robben comes from Bedum, a ten-minute drive away.
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