Arjen Robben

Arjen Robben, (born 23 January 1984 in Bedum, Groningen (province)) is a Netherlands association football who plays for Real Madrid. Though often classified as a forward, Arjen Robben usually plays behind the forwards as a Midfielder (football) Winger. Arjen Robben 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 FC Groningen, for whom Arjen Robben was player of the year for the 2001 in football (soccer) Eredivisie season. Two years later Arjen Robben signed for PSV Eindhoven, where Arjen Robben became the Netherlands' Young Player of the Year and won an Eredivisie medal. The following season Robben's signature was pursued by leading English clubs, and after protracted transfer negotiations Arjen Robben joined Chelsea F.C. in the 2004 close season.

Though Robben's Chelsea debut was delayed through injury, upon returning to fitness Arjen Robben helped Chelsea to consecutive Premier League titles, and was the Premier League Player of the Month 2004-05 in November 2005. After a third season in England which was punctuated by injury, Robben moved to Spanish club Real Madrid for Pound Sterling24 million. In Arjen Robben 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 (province), the Netherlands, Robben took to football from an early age. Arjen Robben began playing with local club VV Bedum. Robben became an adherent of the Coerver Method, created and popularised by Dutch football coach Wiel Coerver. Robben's skill in ball control and technical footwork made Arjen Robben a valuable player, and Arjen Robben was quickly signed by local club Groningen.

Club career

F.C. Groningen

Groningen placed Robben in their first team for the 2000 in football (soccer) season. Arjen Robben scored 50 goals in their competitions. Manager Jan van Dijk (football) added the winger to the first team before Groningen's November 2000 away game against FC Twente, but Arjen Robben did not play until 3 December 2000 against RKC Waalwijk, as a substitute for the injured Leonardo dos Santos Silva 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, Arjen Robben scored two goals. Robben was named player of the year for Arjen Robben first season with the club, and with teammate Jordi Hoogstrate, Arjen Robben 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. 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 Sir Alex Ferguson. Ferguson's offer came in much too low for PSV's and Robben's liking; PSV chairman Harry van Raaij told Manchester United the most that their Euro7 million offer would buy them was a shirt with Robben's autograph. Almost immediately, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich offered Euro 18 million (Pound sterling 12.1 million), and PSV accepted. The rest of Arjen Robben season with PSV was disappointing. Arjen Robben injured Arjen Robben hamstring twice and missed several games. By the end of the season, Robben scored five times in 23 Eredivisie matches. Arjen Robben early Chelsea career was punctuated by dazzling displays as one of few "out and out" wingers in the English game. Arjen Robben instant development of a quick and fluid front three with Ivory Coast 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 F.C. and forced to sit out Chelsea's title run-in and progress to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. Back to fitness for 2005-06 in English football, 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.

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 Arjen Robben 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 Striker Deep-lying forwards, playing off a lone Striker Centre forward, or as a winger, when reverting to the tried and tested 4-3-3. After the absence of Joe Cole due to knee injury, Robben was then recognised as an important player for Chelsea with Arjen Robben ability to bring the ball down the flanks at speed essential in a team not especially endowed with great dribblers. Arjen Robben was named man of the Match on 23 December 2006 against Wigan Athletic F.C., a match where Arjen Robben got two assists and the winning goal in. Arjen Robben was then sidelined for a few weeks due to a slight thigh strain.

In January 2007, Robben returned yet again against Wigan and with an assist and a goal to Arjen Robben 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. Robben made Arjen Robben return in a 3–0 victory against Middlesbrough F.C. in February driving in a shot that took a deflection past Mark Schwarzer for an own goal by Abel Xavier. Robben also came on as a substitute against FC Porto making Arjen Robben presence felt immediately after sending in a cross that led to an Equaliser (sports) scored by Andriy Shevchenko. Robben came on in the second half of the 2007 Football 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 UEFA Champions League 2006-07 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 Arjen Robben out for at least four weeks. Robben made Arjen Robben return in a UEFA Champions League 2006-07 knockout stage Semi-finals encounter against Liverpool. Robben played a brief role in the 2007 FA Cup Final against Manchester United on 19 May, which Chelsea won. Arjen Robben came on as a substitute at half time but was then replaced by Ashley Cole in extra time.

After the final, Robben cleared up speculation on Arjen Robben 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 C.F. was close to signing Robben or Arjen Robben 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 former president, Ramon Calderon, was known to favor Robben. Robben said to reporters of Spanish newspaper AS (newspaper): "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."

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

Arjen Robben 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."

Real Madrid

Robben completed Arjen Robben move to Real Madrid on a five-year deal on 22 August 2007, with the transfer fee reported as Euro36.55 million, Pound Sterling24 million Arjen Robben made Arjen Robben debut on 18 September, in the first Champions League game of the season against Werder Bremen.

International career

Robben has played in 42 games for the Netherlands, scoring 11 goals. The first international experience of Robben's career came in 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, as the Netherlands failed to qualify for the 2002 FIFA 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 national football team. However, the Czech team then scored two goals and won 3–2, which led to criticism about Advocaat's decision. In the same tournament, it was Robben who scored the deciding penalty in the shootout between the Netherlands and Sweden national football team, which ensured that at the fifth attempt, the Dutch finally won a penalty shootout.

Robben played in Arjen Robben first World Cup Qualifiers in 2006. In six games for the Netherlands, Robben scored two goals. The Netherlands qualified for the World Cup in 2006 and in the Netherlands opening match against Serbia national football team, Robben scored the winning goal in the 18th minute, and was named the Man of the match. In the match against Côte d'Ivoire national football team, 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.

During the Euro 2008, coach Marco van Basten changed the formation to 4-2-3-1, preferring the midfield trio of Rafael van der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder and Dirk Kuyt. Robben was left to battle it out with Robin van Persie for place in the wing. In the group match against France, which the Netherlands won 4–1, Robben was brought on at half-time. Arjen Robben dragged the ball out of reach of a defender near the half-way line and paced Arjen Robben 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 Arjen Robben ran at the France goal and was forced into an acute angle, but despite the angle, Arjen Robben shot the ball into the net past Coupet.

Personal life

Robben marriage Arjen Robben wife Bernadien Eillert on 9 June 2007 in Groningen (city). The two met while at high school in the city, at the Kamerlingh Onnes, and have one son, Luka. Robben's father, Hans, acts as Arjen Robben sports agent.

Honours

PSV Eindhoven
- Eredivisie: 2002–03
- Johan Cruijff Shield: 2004
- Peace Cup: 2003

Chelsea F.C.
- Premier League: 2004–05, 2005–06
- FA Cup: 2007 FA Cup Final
- FA Community Shield: 2005
- Football League Cup: 2005 Football League Cup Final, 2007 League Cup Final

Real Madrid
- La Liga: 2007-08
- Supercopa de España: 2008 Supercopa de España

Individual
- Netherlands' Young Player of the Year: 2003
- PFA Team of the Year: 2005
- Goal of the Month (Engalnd): December 2005
- Bravo Award: 2005