Arjen Robben, (born 23 January 1984) is a Dutch footballer who plays for Bayern Munich. Though often classified as a forward, he usually plays behind the forwards as a winger. He is also a part of the Netherlands national team and has appeared at Euro 2004, the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008. Robben first came to prominence with Groningen, for whom he was player of the year for the 2000-01 Eredivisie season. Two years later he signed for PSV, 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. Robben's Chelsea debut was delayed through injury, but 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 €35 million. In his first season in Madrid, Real won the league title, Robben's fourth league title in six years. In August 2009, Robben transferred to Bayern Munich for a fee of around €25 million,[5] scoring two goals on his debut. 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 the local club VV Bedum. Robben became an adherent of the Coerver Method, created and popularised by Dutch football coach Wiel Coerver.[6] Robben's skill in ball control and technical footwork made him a valuable player, and he was quickly signed by local club Groningen.[7] Club career Groningen Groningen placed Robben in their first 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 Twente, but he did not play until 3 December 2000 against 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.[8] 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.[8] Robben transferred to PSV for €3.9 million before the 2002–03 season.[2] PSV During his first season for PSV, the 2002–03 season, Robben played 33 matches and scored 12 goals.[8] 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". He helped lead PSV to their 17th Dutch title, and won the Talented Player of the Year award.[9] After this good start, PSV could not keep up with rival Ajax 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 €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.[10] The rest of his season with PSV was disappointing. He injured his hamstring twice and missed several games.[11][12] By the end of the season, Robben scored five times in 23 Eredivisie matches.[8] Chelsea Robben celebrates winning the 2004–05 Premiership Robben did not make his competitive debut for Chelsea until November 2004, as he was injured in a pre-season friendly match against Roma, breaking a metatarsal bone in his right foot in a challenge from Olivier Dacourt.[3] Robben proved to be a crucial player for the 2004–05 season; 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.[13][14] 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.[15] 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.[8] The 2005–06 season saw Robben involved in an unsporting incident with Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe 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 Reina commented that Robben "did well enough to win an Oscar" for his theatrics. Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez later joked in a post-match interview that he "would soon be going to hospital to check on Robben's condition". Reina's red card was not rescinded.[16] 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] Robben with Chelsea 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 scored a 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] Spanish club Real Madrid were interested in two of Chelsea's players. Then manager Bernd Schuster is said to have demanded Michael Ballack, while Madrid's former president, Ramón Calderón, was 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 splashing out a huge transfer fee. 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 £24 million[26][27] (€35 million). He made his debut on 18 September, during a Champions League match against Werder Bremen. 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. Although the Dutchman was one of the Spanish side's most important players in the pre-season games of the 2009–10 season, he was among the players whose place in the first team became threatened with the signings of Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaká. Real Madrid accepted a bid of around €25 million for Robben from Bayern Munich.[28][29] Robben claimed he was "forced" to leave Real Madrid, saying that he "did not want to go, but the club wanted to sell me".[30] Bayern Munich On 28 August 2009, Robben moved to Bayern Munich for around €25 million. He was given the number 10 shirt, last worn by his fellow Dutchman, Roy Makaay.[31][32] His debut came the day after. He came on as a half-time substitute against Wolfsburg and scoring two goals to help his team into beating last season's champions in his team's first win of the season.[33][34] International career Robben (left) with Wesley Sneijder training for the Netherlands. Robben has played in 42 games for the Netherlands, scoring 11 goals. The first international experience of Robben's career came in Euro 2004 when coach Dick Advocaat called up younger players such as Wesley Sneijder and John Heitinga. During Euro 2004 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.[35] 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.[36] Robben played in his first World Cup Qualifiers in 2006. In six games for the Netherlands, Robben scored two goals.[37] 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.[38] Robben (left) with Robin van Persie. 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. 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 girlfriend Bernadien Eillert on 9 June 2007 in Groningen.[39] The two met while at high school in the city, at the Kamerlingh Onnes,[40] and have one son, Luka.[41] Robben's father, Hans, acts as his agent.[42] Honours