31.10.202127.05.2017

Full name: Arjen Robben

Height: 181 cm

Weight: 80 kg

Role: attacking midfielder (striker)

Arjen Robben's club career: from Gronigen to Bayern

He started playing football in the Bedyum team from the city of the same name near Gronigen. In 1996, he was lured to the Gronigen academy, completed his studies four years later and signed his first professional contract. The player's debut in the main squad took place on December 3, 2000 in the regular season match against Waalwijk. Even before the end of his debut season, the Dutchman won a place in the starting team, played 18 matches and scored 2 goals. Robben played as a midfielder and striker, replacing injured teammates. At the end of the season, Arjen was awarded the title of player of the year and signed a new agreement on improved terms.

After another successful season with his home club, Robben moved up by signing an agreement with PSV. The forward's career with the Dutch giants began in a better way; in his debut season, he played 33 matches and scored 12 goals, which was enough for PSV to snatch the championship title from Ajax. Arjen Robben was awarded the prize for the best young player in the Netherlands, and also received the “Johan Cruyff Prize”, awarded to the best player in the Dutch championship. The second season was less bright, scoring only 5 goals in 23 matches. Despite this, no one doubted Robben’s talent, so in the summer of 2004 a real hunt was announced for him.

Move to Chelsea

Arsenal and Manchester United refused to pay more than 10 million euros for the Dutchman, which could not be said about Chelsea, which had just taken over the leadership of Jose Mourinho. Arjen became the team's fifth new signing, joining Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, Nicolas Anelka and other prominent players. He was forced to start his Chelsea career two months later due to an injury received in a 2004 European Championship match against the Portuguese. He made his debut in the English Premier League match against Blackburn, coming on as a substitute in the 63rd minute. In his first match in starting lineup scored against Everton winning goal at the 32nd minute. A week later I opened the Fulham gate. Based on the results of his debut month, he received the title of best player in the Premier League for November 2004.

Until the end of the season, he played 18 matches and scored 7 goals. On February 2, 2005, he scored in the 5th minute of the match against Blackburn, and already in the 11th minute he received an injury, which knocked him out for another two months. It was during this time that it became clear how susceptible Robben was to injury. In his second season in London, Arjen hardly appeared on the field, and when he finally returned to the main team, he suffered a severe thigh bruise. In March 2007, Robben underwent his first operation; a knee was operated on, which began to bother the Dutchman back in the Eredivisie.

In the summer of 2007, Robben received an offer from Real Madrid and immediately agreed to move to Madrid. By that time, he had completely lost the trust of Mourinho, having played only 5 Premier League matches in full. In addition, Arjen fell out of favor with the “aristocrats” fans after receiving another red card for simulation in the match against Newcastle. The Dutchman left London with 67 matches and 15 goals to his name. His new destination was the Spanish Primera Division, where he was given the opportunity to become the first great Dutchman in the " royal club"in modern history.

Career in Madrid

The contract with Los Blancos was signed on August 22, 2007 and was for 5 years. The Chelsea midfielder cost Real Madrid 36.5 million euros, including all taxes. He made his debut in the new team on September 18 in the Champions League match against Werder Bremen, replacing the Los Blancos legend Raul in the 84th minute. A month later he received his first injury, leaving the game for 2 months. The Dutchman was entrusted with a place in the starting lineup, but five injuries at once prevented him from getting into optimal shape. At the end of his debut season, Arjen became the champion of Spain, but it is unlikely that the midfielder will be able to record this year as an asset, with only 21 games and 2 goals scored.

In the new season, the team was led by Bernd Schuster, who did not see the Dutchman at Real Madrid, emphasizing that he has a bad influence on the collective style of play of the Los Blancos. Robben disagreed with this statement and became one of the team's best assisters with 5 assists. At the same time, the Dutchman scored 7 goals in 29 meetings, becoming one of Real Madrid's top scorers. In the summer of 2009, Perez returned to the Santiago Bernabeu. Perez began his new presidential phase with the purchase of Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka. By this time it became clear that Robben’s fate was sealed.

Career in Munich

Of course, no one was going to challenge Arjen’s talent, but the incredible injury rate (he received one injury every 7 (!) days) scared off potential buyers. On August 28, 2009, it was announced that Robben would move to Bayern. The player was against his transfer, but the management of the Munich team did not even inquire. However, it was in Munich that Robben received a second chance. In his debut match against the reigning German champion, Wolfsburg, he scored two goals, spending only 37 minutes on the field. Robben's performance in his debut season for the Bavarians was simply phenomenal: 26 goals, 7 assists and, most importantly, only one injury.

Robben's goals this season helped Bayern reach the German Cup final (a brace against Schalke in the ½ round). Also, Robben's only goal helped the Munich team beat Manchester United in the Champions League and reach the final of the main European tournament. In November 2010 the Dutch were recognized best football player Germany, gaining 71.2% of the vote. Robben's second season with Bayern turned out to be less bright, with a knee injury reminding him of itself once again. On top of that, in the fall of 2011, Arjen underwent surgery to remove a hernia and was out of the game for another six months.

Robben managed to return to the decisive matches of the 2011/12 Champions League. In March 2012, the “crystal man” scored 7 goals and provided 5 assists. 2 goals and two assists were given in the Bundesliga match against Hoffenheim. And two more goals and one assist came in the Champions League match against Basel (7-0), and then the player scored his second hat-trick in German career, upsetting the goalkeeper of Hertha Berlin. Arjen scored important goals within the quarterfinals and semifinals of the Champions League and, in fact, single-handedly led the Bavarians to the finals of this tournament. However, during the meeting at the Allianz Arena, the Dutchman missed a penalty in the 108th minute, which could have eliminated all outcomes regarding the outcome of the match. Bayern eventually lost to Chelsea in a series of post-match blows.

Season 2012/13

However, fate returned the favor to Robben the following year. Together with the team, Arjen reached the final, scoring two goals in the semi-final against the Catalan Barcelona. In the final, Arjen provided an assist and scored the winning goal in the 89th minute, making amends for his failure a year ago. By the end of this season, Bayern won the first UEFA Super Cup in its history, won the German Cup, and in December managed to add its sixth trophy to its treasury - the Club World Cup.

The following season, under the leadership of Pep Guardiola, he regained his place in the starting lineup and scored a double in the match for the German Super Cup, but his team still lost heavily to Borussia Dortmund (4-2). This season became a landmark for the footballer, if you do not take into account the torn groin muscles, Arjen practically did not fly out with injuries and managed to score 29 goals. In addition, the player scored 16 assists, taking first place in the Bundesliga in the goal+pass system (37).

Arjen Robben's international career

He made his debut in the main team of the Netherlands on April 30, 2003, playing 14 minutes of a friendly match against Portugal. He took part in the qualifying matches for the 2004 European Championship, where he scored his first goal, hitting the goal of the Moldavian national team. Together with the team he went to the final tournament in Portugal. He served as a substitute in the first match against the Germans. He entered the field in a match against the Czechs and was replaced in the 59th minute when the score was 2-1 in favor of the Dutch. The Czechs managed to make a comeback in that match and eventually won with a score of 3-2. IN last match against Latvia, he spent all 90 minutes on the field and gave an assist to Sneijder. On October 10, 2017, after the Dutch national team did not qualify for the World Cup in Russia, Arjen Robben announced his retirement from playing for national team. Over the fourteen years he spent in the national team, he played 96 matches and scored 37 goals.

Arjen Robben at the World Championships

In 2006 I went to my first World Championship. The Dutchman's participation in this tournament was in question until last minute, the failures at Chelsea and the recent meniscus injury were taking their toll. And yet, Robben's performances in the national team were always at top level, so Orange coach Marco Van Basten chose him over other candidates. In the first match group stage Robben scored the only goal against Serbia in the 18th minute. Then he provided an assist to Keita in the match against Côte d’Ivoire. In the last match against Argentina, he remained as a substitute, as the Orange had already guaranteed themselves access to the playoffs. The Netherlands were eliminated at the 1/8 final stage, losing with a minimal score to the Portuguese (1-0).

I went to the 2010 World Cup with old knee problems. Arjen missed the first two matches of the group stage, but then played a key role in the knockout stages of the tournament. In the round of 16 match he scored the winning goal against the Slovakian national team. In the semi-finals against Uruguay, he scored a goal in the 73rd minute, which was enough for the Dutch to reach the final of the tournament for the first time in a long time. In the match against the Spaniards, Robben was unable to realize a one-on-one situation against Casillas, but upon arriving home no one blamed him for this, because the team was already in over their head.

As part of the qualification for the 2014 World Cup, he scored three goals and helped his team take first place in Group I. In the debut match at final tournament The Dutch met the Spaniards. In this match, Robben scored two goals and helped his team take long-awaited revenge for their defeat in the final four years ago. Robben also scored in the second match against Australia (3-2) and managed to score assists in matches against Mexico (2-1) and Chile (2-0). In the match for third place, Arjen provided an assist to van Persie.

Arjen Robben at the European Championships

The performances of Robben and the Dutch national team at the European Championship were less successful. At Euro 2008 he scored a goal against France in the second match of the group stage (4-1). Then he was injured and could not play in the quarterfinals against the Russians (1-3). At Euro 2012, the Dutch did not manage to leave the group at all, losing all three matches to the national teams of Denmark, Germany and Portugal.

Arjen Robben's achievements

"PSV"

Eredivisie champion 2003
Winner of the Dutch Cup 2004

Chelsea

Premier League champion: 2005, 2006
FA Cup Winner 2007
League Cup winner 2005, 2007
Winner of the English Super Cup 2005

"Real Madrid"

La Liga Champion 2008
Winner of the Spanish Super Cup 2008

"Bavaria"

Bundesliga champion 2010, 2013, 2014,2015,2016,2017
Winner of the German Cup 2010, 2013, 2014, 2016
Winner of the German Super Cup 2010, 2012, 2016 2017
Winner of the UEFA Champions League 2013
Winner of the UEFA Super Cup 2013
Winner of the Club World Championship 2013

Netherlands national team

Bronze medalist of the European Championship 2004
Silver medalist of the 2010 World Cup
Bronze medalist of the 2014 World Cup

Arjen Robben's individual achievements

Dutch Football Talent of the Year: 2003
Winner of the Johan Cruyff Prize: 2003
Member of the symbolic team according to the version of the FA: 2005
Bravo Trophy Winner: 2005
German Footballer of the Year: 2010
UEFA Champions League Final Best Player: 2013
Netherlands Sportsman of the Year 2014
FIFA Team Player of the Year 2014
UEFA Team Player of the Year 2011, 2014
Winner of the Bronze Ball at the 2014 World Cup

It will probably come as a surprise to many, but Robben, who looks at least thirty years old, turned only 26 on January 23, 2010. The football player was born in Bedum, Holland, and his very first team was a local amateur team. Arjen's serious career began in football school"Groningen". He made his debut for the main team at the age of sixteen, but Robben turned out to be one of the young and early. At the end of his first senior season, Arjen, having entered the field 18 times and scored 2 goals in these meetings, was named the team's player of the year.

The following season, Robben played 28 matches for Groningen and scored 6 goals. In the summer of 2002, the eighteen-year-old football player moved to PSV.

Arjen spent two seasons in Eindhoven, but managed to make his name known football Europe. In April 2003, he made his debut as part of the country's main team, in May he became the champion of Holland, and in the summer he went to the European Championship, where he won bronze award. At that time, Arjen was only 20.

In the summer of the same year, the footballer moved to Chelsea. The first season, despite the first serious injury that happened at the very beginning, turned out to be successful. The Londoners became champions of England and winners of the League Cup, and Arjen himself, having scored 9 goals in all tournaments, was nominated for the title of best young player of the season, which ultimately went to Wayne Rooney.

The next season, Chelsea and Robben repeated their success: the team became the champion, Arjen played at his usual high level, distinguishing himself in all tournaments 7 times. In the summer of 2006, Robben, as part of the Dutch national team, went to the World Cup, where, despite his stellar play, the team was eliminated at the 1/8 finals.

Then there was a downturn in Robben's career, but everyone would have such downturns, because in the summer of 2007 the Dutchman moved to Real Madrid. Starting in the winter, Robben began to regularly appear at the core of the “royal” club, eventually gaining 26 games, 5 goals scored in his first season in Madrid and becoming the champion of Spain.

In his second year as a member of Los Blancos, Robben played in 24 matches, in which he scored 6 goals, but then another personnel revolution occurred in Real Madrid, and Arjen was forced to leave the club. He moved to Bayern, which he clearly did not regret. In the 2009/10 season, the Munich team almost scored a hat-trick, becoming German champions, winning the national cup and reaching the Champions League final, where they lost to Inter. For Robben himself, who managed to avoid injuries this season, his first year at Bayern was the best of his career. This fact is confirmed by the unconditional recognition of Arjen as footballer of the year in Germany.

The World Cup in South Africa was Robben's fourth big tournament after two European Championships and one World Championship. He could have completed it with a victory, but the Dutch team lost to Spain in the final. Two years later, Arjen will try to return the favor to fate at the 2012 European Championships. He will also have special motivation after he and Bayern lost to Chelsea in London in the Champions League final.

Agree, but Arjen Robben is one of those unique football players who, it seems, have always been and have always been in the public eye. He is only 29 years old, but he has already played 13 seasons at the highest level in the championships of four countries! He wouldn't mind Italy, but who cares about it now...

Yes, yes, only 29. He started going bald a little early, that’s why he seems older. There is a suspicion that the reason for this is not heredity at all, but more on that later.

Moreover, to the Groningen first team soccer player Robben hit when he was only 15! A little more and he will be able to proudly say: “I spent half my life as a professional football player.”

You understand that everything was not just like that, and many people noticed the guy’s talent - he stood out even in the Netherlands, rich in such talents. The “Kurver method”, which was actively implemented in the hometown of Arie-na Bedum and the Groningen academy, was just beginning to produce its first results, and Robben became very high-quality proof of its effectiveness.

ROBBEN AND CHELSEA

The first transfer sum paid for Arena Robben was 3.9 million euros, not so small for an 18-year-old guy, from the grandees of Dutch football - the well-known PSV.

Based on the results of the review, Manchester United offered 7 million euros for the player. "What? — PSV President Harry van Raaij flared up. “Yes, for this money you can only buy a Robben T-shirt with an autograph!”

That’s when Chelsea ended up here, not yet, but already Roman Abramovich, who offered 18 lyams and thus completely satisfied the appetites of the Eindhovenians.

The contract was signed before the end of the season, at the end of February - beginning of March. It is unlikely that Mourinho could have had time to take at least some part in what happened, he was in agreement with Chelsea somewhere in April! In any case, PSV made great money on the “prospect”. Just two years...

But let’s ask another question: what instilled doubt in an outstanding breeder, who, of course, can be called Alex Ferguson?

If van Nistelrooy, another PSV player whom Manchester United eventually acquired, suffered a serious injury at the wrong time (and when such things happen at the right time...), then Robben, there is a suspicion, was hampered by a different kind of illness.

No, there was also an injury, the first serious one in my career, the notorious knee ligaments, but only after signing for Chelsea. Much later, Arjen admits that in 2003 he was much more worried and frightened by another problem: testicular cancer. And I’m happy that in the end we managed to cope with it! Perhaps that's when Robben began to go bald quite quickly.

ROBBEN IN REAL

"I'm not crystal!" - this was Robben’s second phrase after being signed by Real Madrid in 2007. Therefore, they already got him, and, of course, not out of the blue - at Chelsea he broke down with unenviable consistency, and, apparently, he finally got hold of the management.

Moreover, Real did not skimp and paid 35 million - club president Calderon clearly intended to create a Dutch colony, buying Sneijder, Drenthe, van der Vaart and our hero.

The first phrase was Spanish words read from a piece of paper (later the polyglot Robben would learn this too - he is fluent in the language of all the countries where he happened to stay) - they say, I live in a dream, I am in Real Madrid, I am a blanco.

And two years later the forester came... ugh, Florentino Perez and dispersed all the Dutch. According to Robben, he had no intention of leaving Real Madrid, everything was going well for him there, but he was forced.

Read - the owner who urgently bought Ronaldo and Kaka, thereby marking his second coming to the royal club.

Arjen's services cost Bayern 25 million. The increased injury rate of the player did not frighten her at all.

Here one can still argue what leads to such frequent injuries - uniquely fragile ligaments (although in Chelsea Robben even broke a bone in his leg, that very fifth metatarsus, “Beckham’s”) or a style of play associated with frequent blows to the legs received from angry rivals?

AREN ROBBEN AND HIS FOOTBALL POSITION ON THE FIELD

He is a left-handed dribbler with crazy speed and an excellent shot with his left, although his right is by no means just for walking.

Of course, the typical manner of Aren Robben is to sharply accelerate either with the ball or by opening up for a pass (he interacts excellently with Bayern’s right back Lahm, and exchanging passes for them while leaving two or three defenders behind is like two fingers on the asphalt), shift to the center, skewering the opponents, and throw it to the near corner with the left.

The desire to drive a player to a certain position among fans and specialists is ineradicable. You can easily find Robben defined as a left winger, a right winger, just a midfielder or a striker - all this is true and false.

As I remember now, his goal against Wigan in the 90th plus some minutes in the last Chelsea season - so the score became 3:2. Wow, how I jumped, my mouth open in a silent scream...

And what a goal he scored from the penalty line in Manchester, already a Bayern player! This is when they were 0:3 down, but scored two in response and still passed. To run into Inter in the final... No, this player positively “can do a lot of tricks.”

There will be no problem for Robben to play on the left, or even “under”. Thanks to this, the four midfielders of Bayern - Ribery and Robben as flankers, Müller as a pure attacking midfielder, Schweini and Javi Martinez "box-to-box", with the feasible participation of the rest of the Bavarians, spin such a carousel that the opponents (and not Robben! ) and the mind really goes beyond the mind.

In the Dutch national team he did not always have such partners. Aren Robben probably remembers the World Cup in South Africa with mixed feelings - on the one hand, his team reached the final for the third time in history, on the other, they lost it again, and on the third, the team doctors allowed Arjen to enter the field and thus predetermined his next injury.

Bayern later accused the Dutch doctors of unprofessionalism for a long time and demanded compensation from the Royal Football Federation!

In the end, the Dutch played Bayern to reconcile friendly match. The stands conscientiously booed Robben, who played for the national team...

Now they are ready to carry him in their arms and kiss him in all available places, as was the case in Robben’s first Munich season! Under Louis van Gaal, he literally tore and threw, becoming the best not only in Bayern, but throughout Germany. How long will this new bout of idyll last? Arjen's contract with Bayern has been extended until 2015.

ROBBEN AND PEP GUARDIOLA

It’s still difficult to say what he thinks about this. Throughout April, they actively wrote that Robben was one of the first people the Catalan would put up for transfer, because he supposedly considered him too monotonous and predictable.

The rumors only intensified after Bayern signed Götze - he is, of course, not right-wing, but the 37 million newcomer will have to find a place in midfield. Like Lewandowski, another newcomer from Borussia, but this “bell” rings for another player - Mario Gomez...

True, Guardiola will have a much more difficult time after the final - who lets such a hero go?! But this does not prevent many clubs, including those from the English Premier League, from freezing in anticipation and anticipation. And even negotiations.

What's Robben? Again, the ending could have changed some things. We can only note that he heard about Guardiola’s impending arrival on the radio while lying on a massage table, and was quite surprised.

“Very interesting choice! — Arjen diplomatically remarked then. “It’s good that he’s committed to an attacking style of play.”

As for Jupp Heynckes, he certainly played an outstanding role in Robben’s career and helped the guy in many ways. Even at the press conference before the London final, he showered compliments on the Dutchman, noting how important he is in Bayern’s tactical formations and how motivated he will be because of his personal accounts with the Champions Cup...

Repp Josef also noted that he taught Robben to work much more on defense, which made him a more versatile and useful player for the team.

Maybe this will convince Guardiola, maybe... What do you think will be the impact of the fact that Robben played for Real Madrid and, by the way, made fun of Barcelona in the 2007/08 season?

ROBBEN AND PENALTY

So, the first thing that is put in line for Arena Robben is the penalty he missed in the 2012 Champions League final. Sometimes his egoism creeps forward, but the 11-meter egoism, you see, is somehow more specific.

The truth of life is that Robben always took penalties. No, he was not a full-time performer of shots from the point, but he had a very decent account. In particular, his accurate shot became decisive in the penalty kick series against Sweden in the quarter-finals of Euro 2004 - a certain composure in this situation was vital.

But in the series with Liverpool in the semi-finals of the 2006/07 Champions League, he “wasted” an attempt and thereby helped Mourinho take another step towards the title of “eternal semi-finalist”. True, then Jose was ahead at cruising speed and hardly thought about it, that there would be three more duels lost at this stage, including Robben’s Bayern! 1:2 in Munich and 2:1 in Madrid, hmm.

Another bummer for the realists and Moura will take shape in that very match, where Arjen very successfully converts the penalty, sets his teeth on edge at his failure in the match with Dortmund and predetermines his failure in the final against Chelsea...

Agree, all of Arjen’s teams - with the exception of the rather modest Dutch ones - are moving in some bizarre and constantly intersecting orbits! However, football world quite narrow, especially when it comes to the powerful of this world.

ROBBEN AND SIMULATION

Where would we be without her? An unpleasant incident somehow happened in a match with Liverpool in the English Championship. Reds goalkeeper Pepe Reina touched Robben's face, and he went into death throes...

Reina was sent off, Chelsea won, but Arjen’s reputation, at least in Britain, turned out to be very seriously damaged, they don’t like such things there. Rafa Benitez made a great joke after the match: “Sorry, I have to wind down the press conference - I’m in a hurry to go to the hospital to visit Robben!”

Arjen knows how to draw, you can’t take that away from him. Now we just have to complement the image a little by going through the biography.

ROBBEN AND THE HOLLAND TEAM

It’s been quite difficult to imagine the “orange team” without this winger for 10 years now, with all his injuries and sometimes misunderstandings with coaches. He is the same as his team - fast, technical, crazy and a little unlucky... A man from Bedum. Sometimes it seems that somewhere there, in West Friesland, the base of the Dutch national team is located!

At Euro 2004, Dick Advocaat's decision to replace Robben in the match with the Czechs turned into a scandal - the Slavs scored two more goals and won that crazy match, one of the best in recent years - 3:2. Robben spent the semi-final with Portugal in sad memory as a starter, but did not stand out in anything special - 1:2, goodbye, Euro and coach.

At the 2006 World Cup, Robben was already clearly the main one and one of the best, if not the best. At first... Before the eyes of your humble servant, in a rather boring match with the Serbs, he ran to the goal and brought Holland a minimal victory, receiving Man of the Match.

The same reward will overtake him in a luxurious match with Cote d'Ivoire 3:2 (two out of two!), but in the playoffs in a brutal battle with Portugal, Robben's talents will not be useful. He will only hit the goal once, and then miss.

At Euro 2008, Marco van Basen will play a genius and will not let Robben start - but when Arjen appears on the field, he will almost single-handedly tear apart France and score an impressive 4:1 victory...

But where was that Robben against Russia in the quarterfinals? No matter how much I searched, I could not find it, and the reason for this is simple - van Basten was not impressed and left it in stock altogether. This wasted and cowardly lost fight will cost the coach his job.

Robben arrived at the 2010 World Cup with an injury received in a control match, with great doubts about even being included in the list of 23, and started the tournament on the bank.

At Euro 2012, I was only remembered for hitting the upright in the first match with Denmark - but this moment could have changed, if not everything, then a lot for the Orange...

Maybe he will show everyone in Brazil? Let me remind you: Arjen Robben is quite young, one might say, in his prime, and if injuries pass him by, beware, left and left center defenders, as well as goalkeepers!

ROBBEN AND FAMILY

Everything is fine, no scandals, peace and love! Of course, we would like something fried, but it won’t work. Arjen Robben's wife, Bernadine, met and began dating at school.

Three children, sons Luca and Kai, daughter (middle) Lynn. Robben's children's coach Barend Beltman recalled that once the extremely neat Arjen rushed to training, lathered up and a quarter of an hour late.

“Where have you been? - We were walking on the square with a girl... - Well, I hope she’s worth it? - Of course, coach! “Then change clothes and get to work!” Many years later, in 2007, at Robben’s wedding, Beltman was convinced that it was not in vain that he believed and forgave his pupil: Robben walked with that same Bernadine in the distant 90s!

Dutch football player for Bayern Munich Arjen Robben is at the peak of his career and is in phenomenal shape. In this article we will tell you about the most interesting facts from the biography of Arjen Robben.

The talented winger was born in the small Dutch town of Bedum on January 23, 1984. This village is located right next to Groningen, where Robben signed his first professional contract with the team of the same name.

After Groningen he moved to PSV, where he became the champion for the first time. It’s interesting that he managed to do this in his first season (2002-2003) and then he was only 19 years old.

By the way, at PSV he played well with the famous striker Matej Kezman. Their tandem began to be called “Batman and Robben” and they delighted fans with their elegant combinations and good teamwork. At the end of a successful season in 2003, Robben was recognized as the talent of the year in the Netherlands and was awarded the “Johan Cruyff Prize”.

But the second season for the Dutch national team player was a little blurred by injury. However, it was in 2003 that Arjen was called up to the national team for the first time and made his debut in a match against Portugal.

Robben's career in the national team is very ambiguous, because, in fact, the Netherlands never won anything, and the footballer himself was often bothered by injuries. And it seems that in 2010 there was finally success, but it did not last long and at EURO 2012 there was a complete failure for the “orange”.

The next step in club career became the right midfielder English Premier League. Interestingly, Sir Alex Fergusson wanted Robben in his team, but the amount of 7 million euros did not suit PSV. Moreover, the president of the Dutch club mockingly said that this amount would only be enough to buy a T-shirt with Arjen’s autograph. And then London’s Chelsea approached PSV with an offer of 18 million, which satisfied all parties and Robben went to London.

He did not set foot in Foggy Albion top scorer Premier League, but he started there very successfully and was even recognized as player of the month. And yet, constant injuries prevented him from becoming a team leader. However, with Chelsea, Arjen Robben became a two-time champion, won 2 League Cups, one FA Cup and one FA Super Cup.

In 2007, Robben made another big step and signed a 5-year contract with Real Madrid. At that time, it was the 5th most expensive transfer in the history of the Royal Club (36.55 million euros). The period in Spain was the most controversial of his career, although in 2008 he won the Primera and Spanish Super Cup.

Again, injuries and the coach’s mistrust forced Robben to change his situation and in 2009 he moved to Germany, where he became a three-time champion with the Munich giants Bayern. Arjen also won 3 German Cups, two Super Cups, and won once in the international arena , UEFA Super Cup and Club Championship peace.

The most successful season for the Dutch midfielder was 2012-2013, in which he won all tournaments with Bayern, and scored the decisive goal in the Champions League final and was recognized best player match.

Arjen Robben at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, in the first match against the reigning world champions Spain, scored two goals, in one of which he set a speed record for this year among . Robben reached a speed of 37 km/h and thereby got ahead of himself , which set the bar at 35.7 km/h.

If we talk about Arjen Robben’s personal life, it should be noted that he is married to Bernadien Euler and they have 3 children: two boys (Luca and Kai) and a girl Lynn. Interestingly, Robben has known his wife since school, where they studied together.

Robben and his wife

Robben with children

Arjen Robben recently announced his retirement from the Dutch national team. This happened immediately after the Dutch were unable to break into final part World Championship 2018.

Robben played for his country's national team for 14 years. During this time, he played 96 matches for them, in which he scored 37 goals and won bronze at EURO 2004, silver at the 2010 World Championship in South Africa and bronze at the 2014 World Championship in Brazil.

Arjen announced his retirement from the national team and his desire to focus on playing for Bayern Munich.

Now at 33, Arjen Robben has written a new page in his successful career. His goal against Dortmund was the 93rd goal scored for Bayern in the Bundesliga. Thus, the Dutchman became the most successful foreign goalscorer in the club's history.

In connection with the FIFA World Cup, which took place in Russia in 2018, biographies of athletes have become especially popular. However, readers choose stories only about the most interesting football players who maintain the correct position on the field and delight their fans with goals against the enemy.

It is worth saying that it is difficult to stand out from the overwhelming number of football players in order to be noticed by journalists. However, the winger of Bayern Munich, Arjen Robben, a Dutchman by nationality, managed to do this. And this fact is not surprising, because the man, who is famous for kicking with his left foot, managed to win the championships of four countries: the Netherlands, England, Germany and Spain.

Childhood and youth

The future football player was born on January 23, 1984 in a town located in the Netherlands. This place is called Bedum. Arjen's parents predetermined his fate, because the boy's father, Hans Robben, worked football agent, and his wife Marjo was a local celebrity. As for education, as a child, Arjen went to school with difficulty, as they say, “under pressure”; the young man showed no interest in education, but was fond of sports.

Arjen Robben's school document

Arjen preferred to follow in his father's footsteps, so Robben's parents had no doubt that their son would certainly become a football player. Arjen was lucky because Hans and Marjo did not hesitate to send their child to the best football academies.

Thus, while other children were learning the basics of science in their studies, Robben went to school in the mornings. sports school, where I trained intensively with the ball. By the way, the young player was one of the best on his team who mastered the Korver method.

The principle of this method is that the player studies not only individual skill, but also maximum technical equipment. As a result, Arjen's game attracted local football club"Groningen", named after a province located in the north of the Netherlands.

Football

In 1999-2000, Robben began to be involved in training in youth teams. In 2000, Arjen was on the list of participants in the main team for the Dutch championship match with Twente. However, the young man never entered the football field. But in December of the same year, Arjen showed his worth in Groningen, when in the 79th minute he replaced Leonardo, who was injured and could not continue the game, against Velwijk.

Then Arjen Robben's career progressed: over time, the young man stopped sitting on the benches, and his name appeared on the lists of the main players. The Dutchman played 18 matches for the Groningen team, scoring 2 goals against the opponents.

It is noteworthy that upon completion football season the young man was awarded the title of player of the year. This title encouraged the athlete and became an excellent motivation for him: the next season, Robben scored 6 goals, participating in 28 matches.

In 2002, the winger was bought by the PSV club, which paid € 3.9 million for the transfer of the young man. While with this club, the man played 33 matches in the first season, scoring 12 goals. Thus, the Dutchman again received the title of player of the year, sharing it with his colleague, striker Mateja Kezman. It is noteworthy that both athletes played in an attacking tandem, developing their own tactics.

It is not surprising that fans called the two football players “Batman and Robben”, because thanks to the two forwards the Dutch championship was won, after which Arjen Robben replenished his treasury with new awards.

The man was named "Football Talent of the Year in the Netherlands" and also received the "Johan Cruyff Prize". The following year, in the same Dutch championship, the winger won silver.

Next, the footballer, remembered for his feints and maneuver with the ball called dribbling, met with the head coach of Manchester United FC. By the way, he offered € 7 million for the player’s transfer, but this amount seemed ridiculous to the president of PSV, Harry van Rij. He said that for that kind of money, “Manchester will only buy a T-shirt with the athlete’s autograph.”

Best goals Arjen Robben

Therefore, Arjen was sold to the Chelsea team, the transfer price was $18 million. Arjen scored 7 goals in the English Championship (2004-2005), but his career at Chelsea did not work out due to numerous injuries, which became a stumbling block for participation in important Champions League matches.

After Chelsea, the winger began playing for the Spanish club Real Madrid. Head coach wanted to see him in the team, FC President Ramon Calderon agreed to buy Arjen, who signed a contract soon for 5 years. Madrid paid Chelsea €36.55 million.

This amount became the fifth in the history of the Spanish FC; previously the club paid fabulous money for, and (Arjen said that he should get the Golden Ball). The purchase of Robben lived up to expectations; the man helped win the Spanish Super Cup in 2008-2009.

In 2009, the athlete joined the Bayern Munich club, where he made a mind-blowing career. Although the number 10 player did not want to leave Real Madrid, the club independently sold him.

On August 28, the athlete had to sign a contract with the German FC for 4 years. His salary was rumored to be €8 million before taxes. It is noteworthy that Arjen was recognized as the best player in Germany. At the end of the German season, Bayern won the championship and the German Cup. Among other things, the athlete achieved success at Euro 2012 and the 2014 World Cup. There were also rumors that Robben would become a Zenit player, but this information turned out to be unreliable.

Personal life

Little is known about the personal life of the stately athlete (the player’s height is 180 cm and weight is 80 kg), but, fortunately for fans, Arjen is a Internet user: the man runs his own page on "Instagram", however, is not encouraging with numerous publications. Arjen can also be found on the social network