The first trophy of Arjen Robben’s career was the 2002-03 Eredivisie, won with PSV Eindhoven in his first season at the club. The left-footed Dutch winger was born on 23 January 1984 in Bedum, in the province of Groningen. He played for FC Groningen, PSV, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, and reached the 2010 World Cup final with the Netherlands.
Early years in Bedum and Groningen
He started out at VV Bedum, his hometown club, where he played from 1989 to 1996. That year he joined the FC Groningen academy and stayed there until 2000. He made his first-team debut on 3 December 2000, coming off the bench against RKC Waalwijk. In two seasons with Groningen he played 46 league games and scored 8 goals, enough for PSV to pay €3.9 million for him in 2002.
PSV Eindhoven, 2002-2004
He settled quickly in Eindhoven. PSV won the 2002-03 Eredivisie, the club’s 17th league title, and at the end of that campaign he received the 2003 Johan Cruyff Trophy, the Dutch award for the young player of the year. That summer he also lifted the Johan Cruyff Shield. Over two seasons he made 56 league appearances for PSV and scored 17 goals. In April 2003, aged 19, he won his first senior cap in a friendly against Portugal.
Chelsea, 2004-2007
Chelsea signed him in 2004 for around €18 million (about £12.1 million). An injury delayed his competitive debut until 23 October 2004, against Blackburn Rovers, and in November that year he was named Premier League Player of the Month. Under José Mourinho he won the Premier League in 2004-05 and 2005-06, two League Cups (2005 and 2007), the 2005 Community Shield and the 2007 FA Cup. In the 2007 League Cup final against Arsenal he set up the winning goal. He left London with 67 league appearances and 15 goals.
Real Madrid, 2007-2009
On 22 August 2007 Real Madrid signed him on a five-year deal for a reported €35 million. He made his debut on 18 September 2007 in the Champions League against Werder Bremen. In his first season he won the 2007-08 Spanish league title, and in August 2008 he added the Spanish Super Cup. Across two seasons in Madrid he played 50 league games and scored 11 goals.
Bayern Munich, 2009-2019
On 28 August 2009 he joined Bayern Munich for around €25 million. In his first year he won the Bundesliga and the German Cup, scoring a penalty in the final, and was voted German Footballer of the Year in 2010. The 2012-13 season brought a treble of league, cup and Champions League. In the Wembley final against Borussia Dortmund he set up Mario Mandžukić for the opener in the 60th minute and scored the 2-1 winner in the 89th, earning the man of the match award. The 2013 UEFA Super Cup followed, and then seven straight Bundesliga titles from 2013 to 2019. He opened the scoring in the 2014 German Cup final. He finished his time in Munich with eight Bundesliga titles and five German Cups (2010, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2019), plus the German Super Cups of 2012 and 2018. He made 201 league appearances for Bayern and scored 99 goals.
Netherlands national team
He won 96 caps and scored 37 goals for the Netherlands between 2003 and 2017. At Euro 2004 he converted the deciding penalty in the quarter-final shootout against Sweden. At the 2010 World Cup he started the final, which the Dutch lost 1-0 to Spain in Johannesburg. Four years later, in Brazil, the Netherlands finished third and Robben received the tournament’s Bronze Ball and a place in the All-Star Team. At Euro 2012 the Dutch went out in the group stage after three defeats. He announced his international retirement on 10 October 2017.
Retirement and return to Groningen
On 4 July 2019 he announced his retirement from football. A year later, on 27 June 2020, he returned to FC Groningen, the club where he had made his debut. Injuries restricted him to 6 league appearances in the 2020-21 season. On 15 July 2021 he announced his definitive retirement, having played 426 league games and scored 150 goals in his club career.
