Arjen Robben, a Dutch international footballer, has declared his retirement from the sport at the age of 37.
The former Bayern Munich winger made the following announcement on his social media platforms on Thursday:
“Dear football buddies, I have made the decision to retire from my active football career,” he wrote.
“This was an extremely difficult decision. I’d want to express my gratitude to everyone for their amazing support!
This is the second time that the 37-year-old has announced his desire to retire from football; the first time was in July 2019 following the conclusion of the 2018/19 Bundesliga season, in which Bayern Munich finished in first position, and the second time is now.
Although Robben announced his retirement following the original announcement, he did not follow through on his decision, instead returning to Groningen, the club where he began his professional career in 2000.
Despite the fact that Groningen apparently offered Robben the opportunity to sign a new one-year contract, the Dutchman has decided to retire forever following an injury-plagued 2020-21 season.
Robben is a left-footed player who prefers to play on the right wing of the attack. He is well-known for his dribbling abilities, quickness, ball control, and long-range shooting, and he is now regarded as one of the best players in the world at his position.
“Able to take on and beat defenders at the drop of a hat,” according to ESPN. “Robben’s ability to get to the byline and produce accurate crosses instils fear into any defence,” according to the same source.
Robben first gained national attention while playing with Groningen, for whom he was named Eredivisie player of the year in the 2000–01 season.
He signed with PSV two years later and remained there until his departure in 2004. During his time with PSV, he was named the Netherlands’ Young Player of the Year and helped the club win the Eredivisie title.
Robben joined Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea team in 2004, although his debut was postponed owing to an injury at the time. His recovery from injury enabled him to assist Chelsea in winning back-to-back Premier League titles in 2011. He also won the FA Cup with Chelsea, scoring 19 goals in 109 appearances for the club. In November 2005, he was named Premier League Player of the Month for his efforts.
Having endured an injury-plagued third season in England, he transferred to Real Madrid in 2007 for a cost of €35 million. After winning the league and the Supercopa de Espana in his first season with Real, he was moved to Bayern Munich after a dismal second season with the club.
Robben signed a four-year contract with Bayern Munich in August 2009 for a reported €25 million transfer fee. It was at Bayern that he really made his name, forming a lethal attack tandem with France’s Frank Ribéry that was so effective. They were jokingly referred to as “Robbery” by their friends.
Robben made 201 appearances for Bayern Munich during his ten-year stay, scoring 99 goals in the process.
The Bundesliga was his first season at Bayern, and he was the league’s best player. In addition, he was the winner of the 2013 UEFA Champions League, having scored the winning goal in the championship match against Borussia Dortmund. His name was also included in the UEFA Team of the Season.
Over the course of 309 appearances, he scored 144 goals and collected 20 trophies, including eight Bundesliga crowns and eight DFB Pokals.
Robben made 96 appearances for his country’s national team, the Netherlands, and scored 37 goals in total.
He was a member of the Netherlands team that was defeated by Spain in the 2010 FIFA World Cup final in South Africa. During this event, he was awarded the Bronze Ball and was named to the All-Star Team of the tournament.