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Arjen Robben

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Arjen Robben
Personal information
Full name Arjen Robben
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Winger
Second striker
Team information
Current team
 Real Madrid
Number 11
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 11 January 2009 (UTC)

Arjen Robben (born 23 January 1984) is a Dutch footballer who plays for Real Madrid.[1] Though often classified as a forward, he usually plays behind the forwards as a winger. He is also a part of the Netherlands national football team and has appeared in the UEFA Euro 2004, the 2006 FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Euro 2008.

Robben first came to prominence with F.C. Groningen, for whom he was player of the year for the 2000-01 Eredivisie season. Two years later he signed for PSV Eindhoven, where he became the Netherlands' Young Player of the Year and won an Eredivisie medal.[2] The following season Robben's signature was pursued by leading English clubs, and after protracted transfer negotiations he joined Chelsea in the 2004 close season.

Though Robben's Chelsea debut was delayed through injury, upon returning to fitness he helped Chelsea to consecutive Premier League titles, and was the FA Premier League Player of the Month in November 2005.[3][4] After a third season in England which was punctuated by injury, Robben moved to Spanish club Real Madrid for £24 million. In his first season in Madrid, Real won the league title, Robben's fourth league title in six years.

Early football life

Born in the town of Bedum in the province of Groningen, the Netherlands, Robben took to football from an early age. He began playing with local club VV Bedum. Robben became an adherent of the Coerver Method, created and popularised by Dutch football coach Wiel Coerver.[5] Robben's skill in ball control and technical footwork made him a valuable player, and he was quickly signed by local club F.C. Groningen.[6]

Club career

F.C. Groningen

F.C. Groningen placed Robben in their C-class youth team for the 1999–2000 season. He scored 50 goals in their competitions. Manager Jan Van Dijk added the winger to the first team before Groningen's November 2000 away game against F.C. Twente, but he did not play until 3 December 2000 against RKC Waalwijk, as a substitute for the injured Leonardo dos Santos in the 79th minute. Over the winter, Robben managed to play himself into the starting lineup. In 18 starts for Groningen over the 2000–01 season, he scored two goals.[7] Robben was named player of the year for his first season with the club, and with teammate Jordi Hoogstrate, he demonstrated the strength of the Groningen youth academy. Robben stayed with Groningen and improved steadily during the 2001–02 season, playing in 28 matches and scoring six goals.[7] Robben transferred to PSV Eindhoven for €3.9 million before the 2002–03 season.[2]

PSV Eindhoven

During his first season for PSV Eindhoven, the 2002–03 season, Robben played 33 matches and scored 12 goals.[7] He was named "PSV co-player of the year" along with striker Mateja Kežman, with whom he formed an attacking partnership still fondly referred to by PSV fans as "Batman And Robben", as Kezman was nicknamed 'Batman'. He helped lead PSV to their 17th Dutch title, and won the Talented Player of the Year award.[8] After this good start, PSV could not keep up with rival Ajax Amsterdam and were forced into a fight for second place in the Eredivisie. Robben travelled to London and met with Manchester United coach Alex Ferguson. Ferguson's offer came in much too low for PSV's and Robben's liking; Eindhoven chairman Harry van Raaij told Manchester United the most that their €7 million offer would buy them was a shirt with Robben's autograph. Almost immediately, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich offered € 18 million (£ 12.1 million), and PSV accepted.[9] The rest of his season with PSV was disappointing. He injured his hamstring twice and missed several games.[10][11] By the end of the season, Robben scored five times in 23 Eredivisie matches.[7]

Chelsea

Robben celebrates winning the 2004–05 Premiership

Robben did not make his competitive debut for Chelsea F.C. until November 2004, as he was injured in a pre-season friendly match against A.S. Roma, breaking a metatarsal bone in his right foot in a challenge from Olivier Dacourt.[3] Robben missed many games due to injury in 2004–05, managing to play in only 18 games, the fewest of his professional career since his debut in 2000–01 with F.C. Groningen.

On his return from injury, he received the "Barclays Man of the Match" award for his outstanding display at home to Everton and scored goals in consecutive games against CSKA Moscow, Everton, Newcastle United and Fulham. The 2004–05 season had some highlights for Robben; in November 2004, he was awarded the "Player of the Month" award for the English Premier League.[3][4] Robben ended the 2004–05 season with seven goals, his second highest professional total. He was shortlisted for the PFA Young Player of the Year, but was beaten by Wayne Rooney of Manchester United.[12][13] His early Chelsea career was punctuated by dazzling displays as one of few "out and out" wingers in the English game. His instant development of a quick and fluid front three with Ivorian centre-forward Didier Drogba and Irish winger Damien Duff was perhaps the most prevalent consequence of Robben's arrival. However, Robben was badly injured in a league game away to Blackburn Rovers and forced to sit out Chelsea's title run-in and progress to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League.[14] Back to fitness for 2005–06, 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.[7]

The 2005–06 season also saw Robben receive the first two red cards of his career in the two matches against Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion. He was also involved in a very unsporting incident with Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina. Towards the end of a league game between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge, which Chelsea won 2–0, Reina shoved his hand in Robben's face after some provocative words from Robben. Robben fell theatrically to the turf, and Reina received a red card for "violent behaviour", as raising your hands to an opponent is illegal. As a result of the incident, Robben was branded a play-actor by various sections of the media and Reina commented that Robben "did well enough to win an Oscar" for his theatrics. Reina's red card was not rescinded. [15]

After the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Robben returned to a new look Chelsea squad. With the arrivals of Andriy Shevchenko, Michael Ballack and Ashley Cole, Chelsea manager José Mourinho had largely shelved the 4-3-3 formation with two wingers that he had used over the past two seasons and instead began using a 4-1-3-2 formation, with midfielders Frank Lampard and Michael Essien on the flanks instead of specialist wingers like Robben. This saw the winger struggle to get a position in Chelsea starting lineup at the beginning of the season.

In November 2006, Mourinho started to give Robben more playing opportunities, either as a withdrawn forward, playing off a lone target man, or as a winger, when reverting to the tried and tested 4-3-3. After the absence of Joe Cole due to knee injury,[16] Robben was then recognised as an important player for Chelsea with his ability to bring the ball down the flanks at speed essential in a team not especially endowed with great dribblers. He was named man of the Match on 23 December 2006 against Wigan, a match where he got two assists and the winning goal in.[17] He was then sidelined for a few weeks due to a slight thigh strain.

Robben on the road with Chelsea for the Champions League

In January 2007, Robben returned yet again against Wigan and with an assist and a goal to his credit Robben was again named Man of the Match. Robben was inflicted with yet another injury in a match against Liverpool on 20 January 2007.[18] Robben made his return in a 3–0 victory against Middlesbrough in February driving in a shot that took a deflection past Mark Schwarzer for an own goal by Abel Xavier.[19] Robben also came on as a substitute against FC Porto making his presence felt immediately after sending in a cross that led to an equaliser scored by Andriy Shevchenko. Robben came on in the second half of the League Cup final and provided the cross for Didier Drogba to head in the winner; Robben also scored a crucial goal in the second leg of the 2006–07 UEFA Champions League against Porto, which led to Chelsea winning the tie 3–2 on aggregate.

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.[20] Robben made his return in a 2006–07 UEFA Champions League semi final encounter against Liverpool. Robben played a brief role in the 2007 FA Cup Final against Manchester United on 19 May, which Chelsea won.

After the final, Robben cleared up speculation on his future at the club in an interview: "I've always said I want to stay. I will be here next season, that's for sure". Then, on 4 August, Spanish media reported that Real Madrid was close to signing Robben or his Chelsea teammate Michael Ballack. Madrid coach Bernd Schuster told Spanish radio, "Hopefully, we'll be able to announce the signing of one or two big players soon." Schuster is said to have demanded Ballack, while Madrid's president, Ramon Calderon, is known to favor Robben.[21] Robben said to reporters of Spanish newspaper AS: "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."[22][23]

Real Madrid eventually secured Robben's services after dishing out a huge transfer fee. Despite rumors that he really wanted to leave Chelsea, he broke his silence and acknowledged it was hard to leave Chelsea.

He told Chelsea's official club website: "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."[24]

Real Madrid

Robben completed his move to Real Madrid on a five-year deal on 22 August 2007,[25] with the transfer fee reported as €36.55 million, £24 million.[26] He became the fifth most expensive signing in Real Madrid's history, after Zinedine Zidane, Luís Figo, David Beckham and Ronaldo.[27] He made his debut on 18 September, in the first Champions League game of the season against Werder Bremen.

On 17 October, while playing with the Dutch national team, Robben pulled a muscle in his thigh and was out for around six weeks. He made his El Clásico debut on 23 December, 2007, where he came on a substitute for Robinho in the 85th minute. He had an impressive run, overcoming both Gianluca Zambrotta and Rafael Márquez down the left wing.[28] He scored his first competitive goal for Real Madrid on 2 January, 2008, playing against Alicante CF. He opened the scoring, and later won the match 2–1 with Real Madrid. He scored his first La Liga goal on 10 February 2008 against Valladolid. He was positioned on both the right and left wing, Real Madrid went on to win the game 7–0. Since then he has cemented his place in the Real Madrid starting team. Against CA Osasuna Madrid were losing 1–0 but then a Gonzalo Higuaín free-kick was headed brilliantly by Robben into the net in the 84th minute. Real Madrid eventually won the game 2–1 to win their 31st Spanish League title in the club's history. This was the fourth league title Arjen Robben has won at the age of 24 and he has won the league every time for the first season of each club he has played for except his first major club Groningen. He then also went on to score another header against Barcelona on the 21st minute, taking the score up to 2–0, after a first goal from Raul.

Despite suffering from early set-backs at the beginning of the 2008–09 season, Arjen Robben put in colossal displays against Valencia CF and Villarreal, where he was chosen as Man of the Match on both occasions.[29] He scored his second goal of the season after skipping past four Villarreal players down the right wing, then finishing the attack with a brilliantly struck long-range effort.[30]

International career

Robben (left) with Wesley Sneijder training for the Netherlands.

Robben has played in 34 games for the Netherlands, scoring 10 goals. The first international experience of Robben's career came in Euro 2004, as the Netherlands failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup. During Euro 2004 Dutch coach Dick Advocaat substituted Robben in the 66th minute to defend a 2–1 lead over the Czech Republic. However, the Czech team then scored two goals and won 3–2, which led to criticism about Advocaat's decision.[31] In the same tournament, it was Robben who scored the deciding penalty in the shootout between the Netherlands and Sweden, which ensured that at the fifth attempt, the Dutch finally won a penalty shootout.[32]

Robben played in his first World Cup Qualifiers in 2006. In six games for the Netherlands, Robben scored two goals.[33] The Netherlands qualified for the World Cup in 2006 and in the Netherlands opening match against Serbia and Montenegro, Robben scored the winning goal in the 18th minute, and was named the Man of the match. In the match against Côte d'Ivoire, Robben received this award the second time, thus becoming one of the eight players in the tournament to have won the Man of the Match Award more than once.[34]

In the Euro 2008 group match against France, 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 Grégory Coupet, who did well enough to get a hand onto it. At 2–0, Thierry Henry scored a goal, making it 2–1, and 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.

Personal life

Robben married his wife Bernadien Eillert on 9 June 2007 in Groningen.[35] The two met while at high school in the city, at the Kamerlingh Onnes,[36] and have one son, Luka.[37] Robben's father, Hans, acts as his agent.[38]

Honours

Robben and teammate Petr Čech celebrate their second Premier League title.

PSV Eindhoven

Chelsea

Real Madrid CF

Individual

Career statistics

(Correct as of 13 June 2008) Template:Football player statistics 1 Template:Football player statistics 2 |- |2001–02||Groningen||Eredivisie||22||6||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||22||6 |- |2002–03||rowspan="2"|PSV||rowspan="2"|Eredivisie||33||12||colspan="2"|-||4||1||37||13 |- |2003–04||23||6||colspan="2"|-||8||2||31||8 Template:Football player statistics 2 |- |2004–05||rowspan="3"|Chelsea||rowspan="3"|Premier League||18||7||6||1||5||1||29||9 |- |2005–06||28||6||6||1||6||0||40||7 |- |2006–07||21||2||5||0||7||1||33||3 Template:Football player statistics 2 |- |2007–08||rowspan="2"|Real Madrid||rowspan="2"|La Liga||21||4||2||1||5||0||28||5 |- |2008–09||15||5||0||0||4||1||19||6 Template:Football player statistics 378||24||colspan="2"|-||12||3||90||27 Template:Football player statistics 467||15||17||2||18||2||102||19 Template:Football player statistics 436||9||2||1||9||1||47||11 Template:Football player statistics 5181||48||19||3||36||6||238||57 |}

References

  1. ^ "Real Madrid and Chelsea reach an agreement for the transfer of Arjen Robben". Realmadrid.com. 2007-08-22. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  2. ^ a b "UEFA Champions League - Players - Robben". uefa.com. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  3. ^ a b c "Arjen Robben". ChelseaFC.com. Retrieved 2008-08-03. {{cite news}}: Text "Chelsea" ignored (help); Text "The Football" ignored (help); Text "The Players" ignored (help)
  4. ^ a b "FA Premier League Seasonal awards 2004/05". Premierleague.com. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  5. ^ "De Wiel Coerver Methode" (in Dutch). Vvjps.nl. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  6. ^ "Real Madrid C.F. player profile - Arjen Robben". Realmadrid.com. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  7. ^ a b c d e "Arjen Robben Football Profile". eurosport.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  8. ^ "Arjen Robben most talented player". psv.nl. 2003-06-23. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  9. ^ "Chelsea sign Robben". BBC Sport. 2004-03-02. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  10. ^ "Robben out for 4 to 6 weeks". psv.nl. 2004-03-13. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  11. ^ "Robben injury blow". psv.nl. 2004-04-11. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  12. ^ "Rooney secures young player prize". BBC Sport. 2005-04-22. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  13. ^ "Chelsea charges dominate PFA nominations". RTÉ Sport. 2005-04-14. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  14. ^ "Robben sidelined with broken foot". BBC Sport. 2005-02-08. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  15. ^ "Reina reacts angrily to Robben theatrics". RTÉ SPORT. 2006-02-07. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  16. ^ "Joe Cole out for season?". BBC Sport. 2006-12-30. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  17. ^ "Match report: Wigan 2 Chelsea 3". ChelseaFC.com. 2006-12-23. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  18. ^ "Match report: Liverpool 2 Chelsea 0". ChelseaFC.com. 2007-01-30. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  19. ^ "Match report: Chelsea 3 Middlesbrough 0". ChelseaFC.com. 2007-02-10. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  20. ^ "Robben out for four weeks after knee surgery". ESPNsoccernet. 2007-03-31. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  21. ^ "Reports: Real Madrid close to signing Ballack and Robben from Chelsea for €40 million". IHT. 2007-08-04. Retrieved 2008-08-03. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  22. ^ "Robben: "Me hace feliz el interés del Madrid"" (in Spanish). As.com. 2007-08-08. Retrieved 2008-08-03. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  23. ^ "Robben dreaming of move to Madrid". CNN. 2007-08-10. Retrieved 2008-08-03. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  24. ^ "Robben reveals Chelsea heartache". Eurosport UK. 2007-09-08. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  25. ^ "Heinze & Robben seal Real switch". BBC Sport. 2007-08-23. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  26. ^ "Real secure Robben & Heinze". Sky Sports. 2007-08-23. Retrieved 2007-08-23.
  27. ^ "Robben determined to prove his worth". ABC News. 2007-08-24. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  28. ^ "Madrid robbed of Robben and Heinze". uefa.com. 2007-10-19. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  29. ^ Arjen Robben vs Villarreal http://www.goal.com/en/news/722/la-liga/2009/01/04/1040917/robben-magic-sees-real-madrid-past-villarreal
  30. ^ Robben on Villarreal Goal http://www.goal.com/en/news/1705/real-madrid/2009/01/05/1041626/arjen-robben-my-best-goal-with-real-madrid
  31. ^ "Holland 2-3 Czech Rep". BBC Sport. 2004-06-19. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  32. ^ "Holland end Swede dream". BBC Sport. 2004-06-26. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  33. ^ "Arjen Robben Stats". ESPNsoccernet. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  34. ^ "Group C Match Results - World Cup 2006". Travour. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  35. ^ "Chelsea striker Robben to tie knot". AFP. 2007-06-10. Retrieved 2009-01-27.
  36. ^ "Arjen Robben dropped by". PSV Eindhoven. 2005-01-07. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  37. ^ "Robben to AS". Real Madrid C.F. 2008-12-26. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
  38. ^ "Robben happy with Real interest". The Guardian. 2007-08-09. Retrieved 2009-01-27. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
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Awards
Preceded by Dutch Football Talent of the Year
2002 – 2003 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Dutch Football Talent of the Year
2003 		Succeeded by

Template:Persondata

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