Portrait of a Legend: Arjen Robben

BayernKahn

11 min readMar 24, 2023

Club Career:

Groningen (2000–2002): 46 appearances, 8 goals, 10 assists
PSV Eindhoven (2002–2004): 56 appearances, 21 goals, 18 assists
Chelsea (2004–2007): 105 appearances, 19 goals, 30 assists
Real Madrid (2007–2009): 65 appearances, 11 goals, 10 assists
Bayern Munich (2009–2019): 309 appearances, 144 goals, 101 assists
Groningen (2020–2021): 10 appearances, 2 goals, 1 assist

International Career:

Netherlands (2003–2017): 96 appearances, 37 goals, 29 assists

Overall Career:

Total Appearances: 587
Total Goals: 241
Total Assists: 188

FC Groningen

Arjen Robben was born on January 23, 1984, in Bedum, a town in the Netherlands.

Arjen Robben began his professional football career at FC Groningen in the Netherlands. He joined the club’s youth academy at the age of 12 and made his senior debut for the club in the 2000–01 season, at the age of 16.

Robben quickly established himself as one of the most promising young talents in Dutch football. He played in 18 league games for Groningen in his first season and scored his first goal in a 2–0 victory over RKC Waalwijk. In the 2001–02 season, Robben played in 28 league games and scored two goals for Groningen. His performances attracted the attention of other clubs in the Netherlands, and in 2002, he was signed by PSV Eindhoven.

Despite spending just two seasons with FC Groningen, Robben is remembered as one of the club’s most talented youth products. His performances for the club helped him earn a move to one of the top teams in the Netherlands, and he went on to become a star player for both club and country. In recognition of his contributions to the club, Groningen retired Robben’s number 10 jersey in 2020, a rare honor for a player who spent such a short time with the club.

PSV Eindhoven

Arjen Robben joined PSV Eindhoven in the summer of 2002 from FC Groningen, where he had impressed with his performances as a talented young winger. He made an immediate impact in his first season at the club, playing a key role in helping PSV win the Eredivisie title.

Robben continued to develop as a player in his second season at PSV, where he played alongside fellow Dutch stars such as Mark van Bommel and Phillip Cocu. He scored 12 goals in 33 appearances across all competitions that season and was named the Dutch Football Talent of the Year.

During his time at PSV, Robben established himself as one of the most exciting young talents in European football, and became known for his explosive pace, dribbling ability, and his ability to create and score goals. Robben’s time at PSV was short but highly successful as the club won two Eredivisie titles. He played in 56 league games for the club, scoring 17 goals and providing 19 assists. His performances at PSV helped him establish himself as one of the top young wingers in European football and caught the eye of Premier league club Chelsea FC.

Chelsea FC

Arjen Robben joined Chelsea from PSV Eindhoven in 2004 for a fee reported to be around £12 million. He was signed by Jose Mourinho, who had just taken over as Chelsea manager, and was part of a new-look Chelsea team that was looking to challenge for the Premier League title.

Robben made an immediate impact at Chelsea, scoring on his debut in a 1–0 win over Manchester United in the Community Shield. He went on to score seven goals in 42 appearances in his first season, helping Chelsea win the Premier League title for the first time in 50 years.

Robben’s second season at Chelsea was disrupted by injuries, but he still managed to score 10 goals in 30 appearances across all competitions. He played a key role in helping Chelsea win the Premier League title for the second season in a row, as well as the League Cup.

In his third and final season at Chelsea, Robben was again hampered by injuries but still managed to score six goals in 18 appearances. He helped Chelsea reach the FA Cup final, but was unable to play due to injury as Chelsea lost 1–0 to Liverpool.

Despite his injury problems, Robben’s performances at Chelsea were highly impressive, and he was widely regarded as one of the top wingers in European football at the time. His ability to beat defenders with his pace and skill, as well as his clinical finishing, made him a key player for Chelsea during his time at the club. In total, he scored 19 goals in 106 appearances for Chelsea and helped the club win two Premier League titles, one FA Cup, and two League Cups.

Real Madrid

Arjen Robben joined Real Madrid from Chelsea in the summer of 2007 for a fee reported to be around €35 million. He was signed by then-manager Bernd Schuster, who was looking to add more creativity and attacking options to the team.

Robben made an immediate impact at Real Madrid, scoring on his debut in a 2–1 victory over Villarreal. He went on to score 13 goals and provide 9 assists in his first season, helping Real Madrid win the La Liga title for the first time in four years.

In his second season at Real Madrid, Robben was hampered by injuries but still managed to score 7 goals and provide 6 assists in 22 appearances across all competitions. He played a key role in helping Real Madrid reach the knockout stages of the Champions League, but they were knocked out in the round of 16 by Liverpool.

Despite his injury problems, Robben’s performances at Real Madrid were highly impressive, and he was widely regarded as one of the top wingers in European football at the time. However, Robben’s time at Real Madrid was cut short by the arrival of new manager Manuel Pellegrini, who preferred to use other players in the team.

Bayern Munich

Arjen Robben joined Bayern Munich in the summer of 2009 from Real Madrid for a fee reported to be around €25 million. He was signed by then-manager Louis van Gaal, who had previously worked with Robben when he was the Dutch national team coach. Robben quickly established himself as a key player for the German giants.

Robben made an immediate impact at Bayern Munich, scoring on his debut in a 3–0 victory over Wolfsburg. He quickly established himself as a key player for the club, forming a deadly partnership with fellow winger Franck Ribery. Robben’s first season at Bayern Munich was a resounding success as he scored 16 goals and provided 7 assists in 24 appearances in the Bundesliga, helping the club win the league title. He also played a key role in Bayern Munich’s run to the Champions League final, where they were beaten by Inter Milan.

In the following season, Robben was once again a key player for Bayern Munich, scoring 12 goals and providing 11 assists in 24 appearances in the Bundesliga. He played a key role in helping the club win the league title for the second season in a row, as well as the DFB-Pokal.

In the 2011–12 season, Robben played an important role for Bayern Munich, scoring 12 goals and providing 10 assists in 29 appearances in the Bundesliga. He played a big role in helping the club reach the final of the Champions League, where they faced Chelsea. In the final, Robben missed a penalty in extra time, a game in which Bayern Munich would lose in a penalty shootout.

Robben continued his high level performances for Bayern Munich in the following seasons, helping the club win numerous league titles, cup titles, and the Champions League again in 2013. In the 2013 Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund, Robben made up for his missed penalty by scoring the winning goal in the 89th minute to secure the trophy for Bayern Munich.

During the 2014–15 season, Robben helped Bayern Munich win the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and the Club World Cup. He scored 17 goals and provided 7 assists in 21 appearances in the Bundesliga, despite missing a large part of the season due to injury.

Despite changes in managers, Robben continued to play a key role for Bayern Munich in the following seasons, helping the club win numerous domestic titles, including the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and the DFL-Supercup. He was also a key player in Bayern Munich’s run to the Champions League semi-finals in the 2017–18 season, where they were beaten by Real Madrid.

Robben announced his retirement from football in July 2019, having played for Bayern Munich for a decade. During his time at the club, he made 309 appearances, scoring 144 goals and providing 101 assists. During his time at Bayern Munich, Robben won numerous titles, including eight Bundesliga titles, five DFB-Pokal titles, and the UEFA Champions League in 2013. He was widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the club’s history and played a key role in helping the club re-establishing itself as one of the top teams in European football.

FC Groningen Return

After announcing his retirement from professional football in 2019, Arjen Robben surprised the footballing world by making a comeback in 2020 and signing a one-year contract with his boyhood club, FC Groningen. Robben had started his career at Groningen before moving on to play for some of the biggest clubs in the world, including Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich. His return to Groningen was seen as a romantic gesture and an opportunity for him to finish his career where it all began.

Robben’s return to Groningen was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but he finally made his debut for the club in September 2020, in a match against PSV Eindhoven. He played for 28 minutes in the match, showing flashes of his old brilliance despite his long layoff from the game.

Robben went on to make a total of 10 appearances for Groningen in the 2020–21 season, scoring two goals and providing one assist. While his performances were not quite at the level of his peak years, he showed that he still had the ability to impact games and provided a valuable veteran presence for the young Groningen team.

Robben announced his retirement for the second time in May 2021, bringing an end to his second spell at Groningen. His return to the club was seen as a feel-good story and a chance for him to give back to the club that had helped launch his career.

Dutch National Team

Arjen Robben made his debut for the Dutch national team in April 2003, in a friendly match against Portugal. He quickly established himself as a key player for the national team and played a crucial role in helping the Netherlands qualify for the 2006 World Cup.

Robben played a vital role in the 2006 World Cup, scoring two goals and providing two assists in four matches. However, the Netherlands were eliminated in the Round of 16 by Portugal.

In the 2010 World Cup, Robben played a pivotal piece in helping the Netherlands reach the final, scoring two goals and providing one assist in the tournament. In the final against Spain, Robben had a great opportunity to score the winning goal in the second half but was denied by the Spanish goalkeeper. The Netherlands eventually lost the final 1–0.

Robben continued to be in the plans for the Dutch national team in the following years, helping them qualify for the 2014 World Cup. In the tournament, he was once again one of the Netherlands’ standout performers, scoring three goals and providing one assist in seven matches. He played a key role in helping the Netherlands finish third in the tournament, their best result since the 1978 World Cup.

Robben announced his retirement from international football in October 2017, after making 96 appearances for the Dutch national team and scoring 37 goals. He was widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of Dutch football and played a key role in helping the Netherlands qualify for major tournaments and achieve success on the international stage.

Strengths:

Exceptional dribbling skills and close ball control
Great acceleration and pace
Excellent vision and ability to create chances for teammates
Good free-kick taking ability
Adept at cutting inside from the wing onto his left foot and taking shots on goal
Strong work ethic and determination
Great attitude and leadership skills

Weaknesses:

Prone to injury, especially muscle strains and tears
Over-reliance on his left foot, which made him predictable at times
Could be overly aggressive on the field and prone to diving
Could sometimes hold on to the ball for too long, leading to turnovers
Occasionally struggled with maintaining consistency in his performances over an entire season.

Top Games

Arjen Robben played many memorable games throughout his career. Here are 10 of his top games, in no particular order:

Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund, Champions League Final (2013): Robben scored the winning goal in the 89th minute to secure Bayern Munich’s fifth European Cup.

2. Bayern Munich vs Juventus, Champions League Round of 16 (2016): Robben scored a vital goal to help Bayern Munich overturn a two-goal deficit and advance to the quarter-finals.

3. Netherlands vs. Uruguay (2010): Robben scored the third and match-winning goal in the semifinals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup to help the Netherlands reach the final.

4. Bayern Munich vs Manchester United, Champions League Quarterfinal (2010): Robben scored a memorable volley directly from a corner in the second leg to help them advance to the semifinals.

5. Netherlands vs. Spain (2014): Robben scored two goals to help lead the Netherlands to a 5–1 win over Spain in the group stage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

6. Bayern Munich vs. Leipzig (2017): Robben caps off a Bayern Munich come back with a great solo run goal to win 5–4.

7. Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid (2012): In the second leg of the Champions League semifinals, Robben scored a much needed penalty to draw Bayern level with the Away Goals rule. Bayern would knock out Real in penalties.

8. Bayern Munich vs Barcelona, Champions League Semifinal (2013): Robben scored the 3rd goal in the first leg to help Bayern Munich secure a 4–0 victory.

9. Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund, DFB-Pokal final, (2014) — Robben scored the winning goal in extra time to secure the trophy for Bayern Munich.

10. Bayern Munich vs Manchester City, Champions League Group Stage (2014): Robben scored the third goal to help Bayern Munich secure a 3–1 victory.