Arjen Robben (Dutch pronunciation:[ˈɑrjə(n)ˈrɔbə(n)]ⓘ; born 23 January 1984) is a Dutch former professionalfootballer who played as awinger. Known for hisdribbling skills, speed, and long-range shots, he is regarded as one of the best players of his generation and one of the greatest wingers of all time.[4] He ranks second for the all-time Dutch top goalscorers (32) in theUEFA Champions League[5] and is the all-time Dutch top assist provider (19) in the competition.[6]
Robben first came to prominence withGroningen, for whom he was player of the year for the2000–01 Eredivisie season. Two years later he signed forPSV, where he became theNetherlands' Young Player of the Year and won anEredivisie title.[7] The following season Robben's signature was pursued by leading clubs, and after protractedtransfer negotiations, he joinedChelsea in 2004. Robben's Chelsea debut was delayed through injury, but upon returning to fitness, he helped Chelsea bring home two consecutivePremier League titles, and was thePremier League Player of the Month in November 2004.[8][9] After a third season in England which was punctuated by injury, Robben signed forReal Madrid in a transfer worth €35 million.
In August 2009, Robben transferred to Bayern Munich for a fee of around €25 million.[10] In his first season in Munich, Bayern won the league title, Robben's fifth league title in eight years. Robben scored the winning goal in the2013 Champions League final, being named to the Squad of the Season. In 2014, he was named to theFIFPro World XI and theUEFA Team of the Year, and fourth place in theBallon d'Or.[11] In Germany, he won 20 trophies, including eightBundesliga titles and fiveDFB Pokals. During his long tenure at Bayern, Robben was also known for his fruitful partnership with fellow wingerFranck Ribéry – together they were affectionately referred to by the nicknameRobbery.[12][13]
Robben was born inBedum, in the northeastern Netherlands. He took to football from an early age, becoming an adherent of theCoerver Method.[14] Robben's skill in ball control and technical footwork made him a valuable player, and he was quickly signed by regional clubFC Groningen. Here, he developed his distinctive style of cutting inside from the right onto his left foot to score some quite spectacular goals.[15]
Groningen placed Robben in their first team for the1999–2000 season. He scored three goals in league play. ManagerJan van Dijk added the winger to the first team before Groningen's November 2000 away game againstTwente, but he did not play until 3 December 2000 againstRKC Waalwijk as a substitute for the injuredLeonardo dos Santos in the 79th minute. During the winter, Robben managed to play himself into thestarting lineup. In 18 starts for Groningen over the2000–01 season, he scored two goals.[16] Robben was named player of the year for his first season with the club, and with teammateJordi Hoogstrate, he demonstrated the strength of the Groningen youth academy. Robben stayed with Groningen and improved steadily during the2001–02 season, playing in 28 matches and scoring six goals.[17] Robben transferred toPSV for €3.9 million before the2002–03 season.[7]
During his first season for PSV, the2002–03 season, Robben played 33 matches and scored 12 goals.[16] He was named "PSV co-player of the year" along with strikerMateja Kežman, with whom he formed an attacking partnership still fondly referred to by PSV fans as "Batman and Robben".[18] He helped lead PSV to their 17th Dutch title, and won the Talented Player of the Year award.[19] After this good start, PSV could not keep up with rivalAjax and were forced into a fight for second place in theEredivisie. Robben travelled to London and met withManchester United managerSir Alex Ferguson. Manchester United's offer came in much too low for PSV's and Robben's liking; PSV chairmanHarry van Raaij told United that the most their €7 million offer would buy them was a shirt with Robben's autograph. Almost immediately, Chelsea ownerRoman Abramovich offered €18 million (£12.1 million), and PSV accepted.[20] The rest of his season with PSV was disappointing: he injured his hamstring twice and missed several games.[21][22] By the end of the season, Robben scored five times in 23 Eredivisie matches.[16]
Robben did not make his competitive debut for Chelsea until 23 October 2004 againstBlackburn Rovers,[23] as he was injured in a pre-seasonfriendly match againstRoma, breaking ametatarsal bone in his right foot in a challenge fromOlivier Dacourt.[8] During this time, he told club doctors that he had noticed an unfamiliar growth on one of his testicles. The medical team quickly did tests to check fortesticular cancer, but he was subsequently given the all clear.[24]
Robben proved to be a crucial player for the2004–05 season; in November 2004, he was awarded thePremier League Player of the Month award.[8][9] Robben ended the2004–05 season with seven goals, his second highest professional total. He was shortlisted for thePFA Young Player of the Year, but was beaten by Manchester United'sWayne Rooney.[25][26] Robben was badly injured in aPremier League match away to Blackburn Rovers and forced to sit out the2005 Football League Cup Final, Chelsea's title run-in and progress to the semi-finals of theUEFA Champions League.[27] Back to fitness for2005–06, Robben was an integral part of the Chelsea left wing. In 28 matches, Robben contributed six goals as Chelsea won a second consecutive Premier League championship, the first back-to-back titles for the west London club.[16]
Robben was later named man of the match on 23 December 2006 againstWigan Athletic, a match where he got two assists and the winning goal.[28]
Robben was inflicted with yet another injury in a match against Liverpool on 20 January 2007.[29] Robben made his return in a 3–0 victory againstMiddlesbrough in February, driving in a shot that took a deflection pastMark Schwarzer for an own goal byAbel Xavier.[30] He came on as a substitute forClaude Makélélé in the2007 League Cup final againstArsenal and set up the winning goal forDidier Drogba.[31] Robben scored a goal in the second round of theChampions League againstPorto, which led to Chelsea winning the tie 3–2 onaggregate. At the end of March 2007, Robben underwent a knee operation after sustaining a knee injury upon returning from international duty that was expected to rule him out for at least four weeks.[32] He only made two further appearances for Chelsea, both of which were as a substitute[33] and both of which would prove to be key games for the club. His first appearance since returning from injury was against Liverpool in theChampions League semi-final second leg which went to penalties. Robben went on to have his penalty saved by Pepe Reina, and Chelsea ultimately lost.[34]
Robben's final appearance for the club came against Manchester United in the2007 FA Cup Final. Robben replacedJoe Cole at half-time, but was then substituted himself forAshley Cole in extra time as Chelsea emerged victorious.[35] Spanish clubReal Madrid were interested in two of Chelsea's players. Then managerBernd Schuster is said to have demandedMichael Ballack, while Real Madrid's then presidentRamón Calderón was known to favour Robben.[36] Robben said to reporters of Spanish newspaperAS, "I do not know when a deal will be reached. I would like to send a message to the Madrid fans, but I can't until my future is sorted."[37][38]
Real Madrid eventually secured Robben's services in August 2007.[39] He told Chelsea's official club website:[40]
It was difficult to leave because I had a great time in my three years at Chelsea and I made a lot of friends. There was no time to say goodbye because the deal was closed on the Wednesday at 10 o'clock in the evening and the following morning I had to fly. If I have one day off I would want to come back and say goodbye because to the fans I owe a big thank you because they were always good to me. In my three years I won all the prizes there are to win in England.
Robben completed his move to Real Madrid on a five-year deal on 22 August 2007,[41] with the transfer fee reported as £24 million[42][43] (€35 million). He made his debut on 18 September as a substitute forRaúl during aChampions League match againstWerder Bremen, which Real Madrid won 2–1.[44] HisLa Liga debut came on 23 September, as a substitute forRoyston Drenthe in a 1–1 away draw againstReal Valladolid.[45] On 10 February 2008, Robben scored his first goal, coming at home in a 7–0 victory against Valladolid.[46] Robben proved crucial for many Real Madrid matches, making his famous runs down the left wing and quickly became a first choice for the left midfield position, making 28 appearances during hisdebut season and scoring five goals. Real Madrid won the Liga title with multiple games to spare, and were already the champions of Spain when they played theirarch-rivalsBarcelona on 7 May 2008. The Barcelona players formed a guard of honour as the Madrid team came onto the pitch at theSantiago Bernabéu Stadium, and Robben played an important part in Real Madrid's subsequent 4–1 victory, scoring the champions' second goal.[47]
Robben retained his key role in the Real Madrid midfield during the2008–09 season, playing 35 times and scoring 8 goals. Although the Dutchman was one of the Spanish side's most important players in the pre-season games leading up to the2009–10 season, having scored three goals and help set up another four, he was among the players whose place in the first team became threatened following the arrival ofFlorentino Pérez and the signings ofCristiano Ronaldo andKaká. Real Madrid accepted a bid of around €25 million for Robben fromBayern Munich.[48][49] Robben claimed he was "forced" to leave Real Madrid, saying that he "didn't want to go, but the club wanted to sell him".[50]
On 28 August 2009, Robben moved to Bayern Munich for around €25 million. He was given thenumber 10 jersey, last worn by his fellowDutchman,Roy Makaay.[51][52] On 9 March 2010, Robben scored the deciding goal in Bayern's 2–3 defeat (4–4 on aggregate over two legs) againstFiorentina, taking them through to the quarter-finals of the2009–10 Champions League onaway goals.[53]
On 7 April 2010, Robben sent Bayern into the semi-finals of the Champions League with a stunning volley against Manchester United from the edge of the area into the corner of the net. The game ended 3–2 to United (4–4 onaggregate), with Bayern advancing again due to away goals.[54]
On 17 April 2010, he scored his firsthat-trick in theBundesliga againstHannover 96 in theAllianz Arena. The game ended 7–0 to the Bavarians.[55] On 8 May 2010, he won his first Bundesliga title with Bayern after scoring two goals in their 3–1 victory overHertha BSC, finishing as Bayern's top scorer in the process.[56]
A week later, Bayern played in theDFB-Pokalfinal against the previous champions of the tournament, Werder Bremen, inBerlin'sOlympiastadion. Bayern won the game 4–0, with Robben scoring the first of his team's goals from a penalty kick. Robben thus helped the Bavarians achieve their 15th DFB-Pokal title. On 25 May 2010, Robben was namedFootballer of the Year in Germany for 2010.[57] He was the fourth foreigner and the first Dutchman to win the title. He finished the2009–10 season with 23 goals in 37 appearances.[58]
The2010–11 season started poorly for Robben, after medical tests confirmed that his hamstring had not properly healed and would be out for two months.[59] Bayern chairmanKarl-Heinz Rummenigge stated that "Of course, Bayern Munich are very angry" with theRoyal Dutch Football Association (KNVB), and would be seeking compensation from them, continuing, "Once again we must pay the bill as a club after a player is seriously injured playing for a national team."[59] On 15 January 2011, he returned to first-team action, coming on as a substitute in the 1–1 away draw withVfL Wolfsburg.
Robben was nominated for the UEFA Champions League Best Midfielder award, but the award went to his international compatriotWesley Sneijder. He has also been nominated for the prestigiousBallon d'Or award and theFIFA Puskás Award, which goes to the best goal of the year, and he has also been nominated for FIFA's FIFPro World XI 2010 squad thanks to his season with Bayern Munich. He finished the2010–11 season with 13 goals in 17 appearances.[60]
In the second leg of the semi-finals of the2011–12 Champions League, against his former club Real Madrid, which was then managed by José Mourinho (who had been his manager at Chelsea), after Bayern fell behind 2–0, Robben converted a penalty to level the tie at 3–3. Bayern advanced to the final after winning the resulting penalty shootout.[61]
On 3 May 2012, it was reported that Robben had signed a new contract with Bayern which would last until 2015.[62]
Robben had an extra-time penalty saved by former teammatePetr Čech in the2012 Champions League final at theAllianz Arena against Chelsea. Had he scored, Bayern Munich would have led Chelsea 2–1. The match, however, ended in a penalty shootout which Chelsea won.[63] That was the fourth major cup final that he had been on the losing side during the last two years (FIFA World Cup final, two Champions League finals and the DFB-Pokal). Three days later in the same stadium, and while playing as a second-half substitute for the Netherlands in a friendly against Bayern Munich, he was jeered by some disgruntled Bayern fans every time he touched the ball (due to his penalty miss in the Champions League final, and as he did not play on Bayern's side during that match due to a decision taken by Netherlands coachBert van Marwijk).[64] The match had been organised to compensate Bayern, since Robben aggravated an injury playing for the Netherlands at the 2010 World Cup, and went on to miss several months of the 2010–11 season.[65] He finished the2011–12 season with 19 goals in 36 appearances.[66]
In the2012–13 season, Robben played in the German Super Cup.[17] He had started the season on the bench, as managerJupp Heynckes preferred to startThomas Müller on the right wing, withToni Kroos at the attacking midfielder position. Robben had played through the season as a substitute but earned his chance to start again after Kroos was injured during theChampions League tie againstJuventus. He started on the right wing for the rest of the season, having moved Müller back to the middle. Robben started againstBorussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals of theDFB-Pokal and scored the game's lone goal in the 43rd minute. In the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona, Robben started both games and scored in both, including the go-ahead goal in the second leg. Bayern would then go on to return to thefinal inWembley Stadium. Robben atoned for his penalty missed the previous season by setting up teammateMario Mandžukić's goal to open the scoring in the 60th minute then netting an 89th-minute winner in a 2–1 victory over Borussia Dortmund to give Bayern their fifth Champions League/European Cup title.[67] During the presentation, he was namedMan of the Match byUEFA.[68] Hence, he has been called "Mr Wembley" since then.[69] He finished the 2012–13 season with 13 goals in 31 appearances.[17][70]
On 1 March 2014, Robben scored a hat-trick in Bayern's 5–1 win overSchalke 04.[78] On 19 March, he signed a contract extension with Bayern which will keep him at the club until 2017.[79] On 9 April, Robben scored Bayern's third goal in a 3–1 Champions League quarter-final against Manchester United, to secure qualification to the semi-finals.[80] On 17 May, Robben scored Bayern's opening goal in a 2–0 extra-time defeat of Borussia Dortmund in the2014 DFB-Pokal Final, giving him his third league and cupdouble in five seasons with the club. His goal also made him the first player to score in three separate DFB-Pokal finals.[81] On 13 July, after winning the third-place match at the2014 World Cup,Louis van Gaal invited Robben to follow him to Manchester United, but the latter ruled out the move.[82] He finished the 2013–14 season with 21 goals in 45 appearances.[17][83]
In Bayern's opening match of the2014–15 Bundesliga season, Robben scored one goal and assisted the other as the team defeated VfL Wolfsburg 2–1 on 22 August 2014. On 1 November, he scored the winning goal from a penalty kick against Borussia Dortmund inDer Klassiker. On 16 December 2014, Robben scored his 100th competitive goal for Bayern Munich in a home match againstSC Freiburg.[84]
On 21 February 2015, Robben scored twice in a 6–0 win againstSC Paderborn, giving him the record of scoring against every Bundesliga team he had faced.[85] He ended 2014–15 alongside teammateRobert Lewandowski as joint second-top goalscorer in the Bundesliga with 17 goals. This was despite the player missing the last two months of the season through injury.[86] He finished the 2014–15 season with 19 goals in 30 appearances.[17][87]
Robben started his2015–16 season by scoring the opening goal of theDFL-Supercup against VfL Wolfsburg.[88] The match finished in a 1–1 draw, and Robben scored in the subsequent shootout, however Bayern were defeated.[88]
Robben's first goal of theBundesliga season came from a penalty kick in a 3–0 defeat ofBayer Leverkusen on 29 August.[89] However, an injury suffered six days later when playing for the Netherlands againstIceland inqualification forUEFA Euro 2016 kept him out of Bayern's next nine fixtures.[90] On 24 October, Robben returned to the Bayern team, playing 65 minutes and scoring the opening goal of a 4–0 win against1. FC Köln, the club's 1,000th Bundesliga victory.[91] He made his firstChampions League appearance of the season on 4 November, scoring after coming on as a substitute in Bayern's 5–1 win over Arsenal.[92] He finished the 2015–16 season with seven goals in 22 appearances.[88][93]
Robben, recovering from his injury, was chosen for a friendly againstSV Lippstadt 08. He scored a goal, shortly before being substituted because of another injury in the 36th minute. Robben's six-week injury caused him to miss several matches. He returned to training and remained on the bench until 21 SeptemberBundesliga match against Hertha BSC, where he came on instead of Thomas Müller and scored in the 3–0 victory.[94] Robben scored in both first and second leg of theround-of-sixteen tie against Arsenal as Bayern won 10–2 on aggregate.[95][96] He finished the 2016–17 season with 16 goals in 37 appearances.[97]
On 16 January 2017, Robben signed a one-year extension with Bayern, keeping him at the club until the end of the2017–18 season.[98] He scored a goal with his right foot for the first time since February 2015 in a 4–0 victory over1. FSV Mainz 05 on 16 September.[99] On 18 October, Robben made his 100th Champions League appearance in a 3–0 victory overCeltic F.C. in thegroup stage match of the competition.[100] On 4 November, Robben scored a stunning goal in a 3–1 away win over their Borussia Dortmund inDer Klassiker which made him Bayern's most successful non-German scorer in the Bundesliga and the most successful Dutch goal scorer in the Bundesliga.[101][102] He scored twice in a 6–0 away victory over SC Paderborn as Bayern went on through to the semi-final ofDFB-Pokal on 6 February 2018.[103] On 25 April, he had an injury within the first ten minutes of the Champions League semi-final first leg against Real Madrid, which forced him to miss the rest of the season.[104]
Robben won his seventh Bundesliga title and set a Dutch record by winning his 11th career domestic league title surpassing Dutch legendJohan Cruyff's 10 career domestic league titles.[105][106] He finished the 2017–18 season with seven goals in 34 appearances.[107]
On 11 May 2018, Robben signed a one-year contract; extending his stay until the end of the2018–19 season.[108]
On 12 August, he started theseason by playing in the2018 DFL-Supercup for 58 minutes and won the title as Bayern defeatedEintracht Frankfurt with a 5–0 victory.[109] On 27 November, Robben scored two goals in a 5–1 win againstS.L. Benfica in the Champions League.[110] On 2 December, Robben said in an interview: "I can say that this is my last year [at Bayern] and it is good like that. I think it is the right moment after ten years. The club moves on and I may move on. It is the end of a very good and long period."[111]
On 18 May 2019, he scored his last league goal for Bayern inBundesliga making it a 5–1 victory againstFrankfurt, which meant Bayern winning their 28th Bundesliga title and Robben winning his eighth.[112] On 25 May 2019, Robben won his fifthDFB-Pokal as Bayern defeatedRB Leipzig 3–0 in the2019 DFB-Pokal Final.[113] He finished the 2018–19 season with six goals in 19 appearances.[107] In 201 Bundesliga matches he scored 99 goals.[114]
On 4 July 2019, Robben announced his decision to retire from football.[115][116]
On 27 June 2020, Robben announced his return to the game, signing withFC Groningen, the club he started his career with,[117] in an effort to help the team recover fromCOVID-19 setbacks.[118] He scored his first goal for Groningen in a pre-season friendly againstArminia Bielefeld.[119] On 13 September 2020, he made his league debut for Groningen against PSV, but he was substituted after only 28 minutes due to injury.[120] After a nearly seven-month absence, he made his return as a substitute in a loss toSC Heerenveen on 11 April 2021.[121] Robben returned in Groningen's starting line-up on 9 May; he provided two assists in a 4–0 win atEmmen.[122]
On 15 July 2021, Robben announced his second and final retirement from professional football.[123]
Robben's first participation at an international tournament came atUEFA Euro 2004 when managerDick Advocaat called up younger players, such asWesley Sneijder andJohn Heitinga. During the group stage of the tournament, Advocaat substituted Robben in the 66th minute to defend a 2–1 lead over theCzech Republic. The Czechs, however, then scored two goals and won 3–2, which led to criticism about Advocaat's decision.[125] In the quarter-finals, Robben scored the deciding kick in thepenalty shootout between the Netherlands andSweden, which ensured that at the fifth attempt, the Dutch finally won a shootout.[126]
Robben played in his first2006 FIFA World Cup qualifier in 2006. In six games for the Netherlands, Robben scored two goals.[127] The Netherlands qualified for the2006 World Cup and in their opening match againstSerbia and Montenegro, Robben scored the winning goal in the 18th minute, and was named thePlayer of the match. In the match against theIvory Coast, Robben received this award the second time, thus becoming one of the eight players in the tournament to have won multiple Man of the Match awards.[128]
DuringEuro 2008, new Dutch managerMarco van Basten changed the side's formation to 4–2–3–1, preferring the midfield trio ofRafael van der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder andDirk Kuyt, with Robben left to battle for a position with Robin van Persie on the wing. In the group match againstFrance, which the Netherlands won 4–1, Robben was brought on at half-time. He dragged the ball out of reach of a defender near the half-way line and paced his way ahead of three defenders, then crossed straight to Van Persie, who powered a shot into the goal past France goalkeeperGrégory Coupet. At 2–0,Thierry Henry scored a goal for France, making it 2–1, but almost directly after the restart, Robben was played through by Sneijder and he ran at the France goal and was forced into an acute angle, but despite the angle, he shot the ball into the net past Coupet.
Robben was selected by new managerBert van Marwijk for the final 23-man Dutch squad for the2010 World Cup.[129][130] In the team's last friendly match againstHungary, just before its flight to South Africa on 4 June, Robben fell awkwardly and picked up a hamstring injury, causing concern over his fitness for the tournament.[131] On 5 June, Van Marwijk announced that he had "decided not to summon any substitute for Arjen. I want to give him every chance to still participate in the World Cup".[132] On 12 June, Robben arrived in South Africa to join the team.[133] He was an unused substitute for the opening match againstDenmark as they coasted to a 2–0 victory, and again in the 1–0 victory againstJapan. He came on in the 73rd minute againstCameroon in their 2–1 victory, hitting the post from whichKlaas-Jan Huntelaar scored from the rebound.[134]
On 28 June 2010, Robben started his first match againstSlovakia in which he went on to score the first goal in thesecond round as the Netherlands won 2–1. He also won the man of the match award.[135] Robben scored the third goal with a well-placed header in the semi-finals againstUruguay which the Netherlands won 3–2 to reach the final.[136] Robben played for the full match in thefinal as the Netherlands lost 1–0 toSpain.[137] Robben had Netherlands's best opportunity of the match when played in on goal by Wesley Sneijder in the 62nd minute of the match, but was denied byIker Casillas.[138] Robben was nominated for the2010 World Cup Golden Ball, the tournament's best player, which was won byDiego Forlán.
Robben was selected to play for theNetherlands atEuro 2012.[139][140] He started in the first group stage match, a1–0 loss to Denmark, in which he hit the post with a curled effort. In the next match, a 2–1 loss toGermany, he hopped over the advertising boards and walked the long way round after being subbed off for Dirk Kuyt because he thought he could have inspired the Netherlands to a win.[141] After a 2–1 loss to Portugal, the Netherlands were knocked out with three straight defeats.
In the Netherlands' first match of the2014 World Cup, Robben scored two goals in a 5–1 win over Spain.[142] In the Netherlands' second group stage match, a 3–2 win overAustralia, Robben scored the team's opening goal as they qualified for theknockout stage.[143] In the round of 16 knock-out match withMexico, the Netherlands won on a penalty awarded after Robben went down following a challenge fromRafael Márquez. TheAssociated Press said that Robben's "theatrical" fall "did little to defuse the debate about his reputation for diving".[144] Robben maintained that the penalty was correct but admitted to falling easily earlier in the match, tellinga Dutch TV channel that "the one [at the end] was a penalty, but the other one was a dive in the first half. I shouldn't be doing that".[145]
In thequarter-final, Robben scored the Netherlands' second kick in a 4–3 penalty shootout defeat ofCosta Rica.[146] On 11 July, Robben was named on the ten-man shortlist for FIFA'sGolden Ball award for the tournament's best player.[147]
On 10 October 2017, Robben retired from international football after the team's unsuccessful2018 World Cup qualifying campaign.[149] He collected 96 caps between 2003 and 2017 for theOranje and scored 37 goals.[150]
Throughout most of his career, Robben was regarded as one of the best wingers in the world, withESPN stating he is "able to take on and beat defenders at the drop of a hat, Robben's ability to get to the byline and deliver in accuratecrosses instils fear into any defence".[151][152] Usually deployed on theright wing, Robben employed his signature move by cutting inside on his stronger left foot to move to a more central attacking position, and used his speed anddribbling skills to take on defenders until he found the space to make an attempt on goal.[153] Robben had a noticeable preference for using his dominant foot throughout his career: he scored 134 league goals with his left foot, while only ten league goals came with his weaker right foot.[154][155][156]
Robben is a world class player. He can, as we know from experience, decide a game on his own. To stop him, you have to double him.
During the course of a match Robben would often drift to the left wing, with his teammate, in the case of Bayern Munich,Franck Ribéry, switching over to the right. Another factor in his playing style is his relationship with the right-sided full-back. At Bayern, this partnership withPhilipp Lahm had benefits for the team's efficiency and chemistry. Robben's defensive work improved when he went to Bayern where he often tracked back and covered for his partner when he pushed forward and became a temporary right back.[153]
I always prefer to be honest and I said there was one foul in the first half where I went to the ground when the opponent took his leg away at the last moment ... It had nothing to do with the game and thepenalty was a clear penalty. I apologise for the action in the first-half but that's football ...
– Robben admits to diving against Mexico in 2014, but argues that it only happened during the less-crucial first half.[158]
Robben was often accused ofdiving, and at times he openly admitted to the charges.[159][160][161][162] In December 2011, Robben apologised for a dive against VfL Bochum in a DFB-Pokal match which earned him a yellow card, saying, "I must not do things like this."[163] In July 2014, Robben admitted to diving in the first half of Netherlands' match against Mexico in the last 16 round of the 2014 World Cup, but maintained that he had not dived for the decisive penalty he won in stoppage time which Netherlands converted to win 2–1.[159] Following the incident, Robben's former manager at Chelsea,José Mourinho, said that Robben's speed and creativity cause opponents who cannot stop him to foul him, but "sometimes [Robben] tries to get an advantage, or to get a penalty".[164]
Earlier in his career, Robben also drew criticism from pundits and other players for his perceived selfishness, his lack of composure in important games, and for his struggles with injuries throughout his career, which were initially thought to have limited his potential; however, he worked to develop his physique and the mental aspect of his game, and became a more consistent and world class team player as his career progressed, who was known for providing a good number of assists as well as scoring goals himself.[165][166][167][168]
In August 2025, Robben competed in the at the CUPRA FIP Bronze tournament in Westerbork, appearing on the professionalpadel circuit. According to theInternational Padel Federation (FIP), he and partner Werner Lootsma won a qualifying match before being eliminated in the first round of the main draw.[169][170]
Robben married his girlfriend Bernadien Eillert on 9 June 2007 in Groningen.[171] The two met while in high school in the city, at the Kamerlingh Onnes,[172] and have two sons, Luka (born 2008) and Kai (born 2012) and a daughter, Lynn (born 2010).[173][174] Robben's father, Hans, works as hisagent.[175]
Robben has a sponsorship deal with German sportswear and equipment supplierAdidas.[176] Robben featured in EA Sports'FIFA video game series before his retirement, and was the third-highest-rated player inFIFA 15.[177]
^"Arjen Robben ist Fußballer des Jahres" [Arjen Robben is Footballer of the Year] (in German). kicker Online. 8 August 2010.Archived from the original on 14 August 2010. Retrieved8 August 2010.
^Stokkermans, Karel (14 March 2007)."ESM XI". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation.Archived from the original on 7 February 2016. Retrieved14 July 2014.
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