Arjen Robben

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Arjen Robben
Personal information
Date of birth	January 23, 1984 (age 23)
Place of birth	Bedum, Netherlands
Height	1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Nickname	Robbie Arjen Magic
Playing position	Winger, Striker
Club information
Current club	Chelsea
Number	16
Youth clubs
2000-2001	C.V.V.B V.V. Bedum F.C. Groningen
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
2000-2002 2002-2004 2004-present	F.C. Groningen PSV Eindhoven Chelsea	46 0(8) 56 (18) 66 (15)
National team2
2003-present	Netherlands	27 0(8)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17 March 2007. 2 National team caps and goals correct as of 10 February 2007. * Appearances (Goals)

Arjen Robben (pronounced Ar-yen Rob-ben) (born January 23, 1984 in Bedum, Netherlands) is a Dutch footballer who currently plays as a winger for Chelsea F.C. in the FA Premier League. He is also a part of the Netherlands national football team, appearing in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Considered to be one of the most talented young players in modern football,^[1] Robben was named F.C. Groningen's team player of the year during the Eredivisie 2000-01 season and the Dutch Talent of the Year during his time at PSV Eindhoven. He was also the FA Premier League Player of the Month during the month of November 2005 at Chelsea F.C..

Contents 1 Early football life 2 Club career 2.1 F.C. Groningen 2.2 PSV Eindhoven 2.3 Chelsea F.C. 2.3.1 2004-2005 2.3.2 2005-2006 2.3.3 2006-2007 3 International career 4 Personal life 5 Quotes 6 Awards and honours 7 Career statistics 8 References 9 External links

[edit] 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 clubs C.V.V.B and V.V. Bedum. Robben became an adherent of the Coerver Method, created and popularised by Dutch football coach Wiel Coerver.^[2] Robben's skill in ball control and technical footwork made him a valuable player, and he was quickly signed by local club FC Groningen.

[edit] Club career

[edit] F.C. Groningen

F.C. Groningen placed Robben in their C-class youth team for the 1999/2000 season. He scored an impressive 50 goals in their competitions.^[3][4] Manager Jan Van Dijk added the talented winger to the first team before Groningen's November 2000 away game against F.C. Twente, but he did not play until December 3, 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 2 goals.^[4] Robben was named player of the year for his first season with the big 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 6 goals.^[5] Robben transferred to PSV Eindhoven for €4.2 million before the 2002-03 season.

[edit] PSV Eindhoven

During his first season for PSV Eindhoven, Robben appeared to justify the high transfer price he commanded. In the 2002-03 season, Robben played in 33 matches and scored 12 goals. He was named "PSV's co-player of the year" along with striker Mateja Kežman. He helped lead PSV to their 17th Dutch title, and won the Talent of the Year award.^[4]

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. Arjen traveled to London and met with Manchester United coach Alex Ferguson. After that meeting, Robben said that moving to the English club would be a dream come true.^[4] Ferguson's offer came in much too low for PSV's and/or 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 Robben accepted. The rest of his season with PSV was very disappointing. He injured his hamstring twice and missed several games, and also received criticism for his "poor manners" from PSV trainer Guus Hiddink, in reference to his somewhat dramatic dives and appeals for yellow cards.^[4] At the end of the 2003-04 season, Robben tallied only 23 appearances and 6 goals. However, he was regarded as a dominant force, and was ready to claim the left wing for Chelsea in 2004-05.

[edit] Chelsea F.C.

[edit] 2004-2005

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 strong challenge from Olivier Dacourt. 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 FC 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 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. Robben ended the 2004-05 season with 7 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. 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.^[6] 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.

[edit] 2005-2006

Back to fitness for 2005-06, Robben had been an integral part of the Chelsea left wing. In 28 matches, Robben contributed 6 goals as Chelsea won a second consecutive FA 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 Brom. He was also involved in an unsavoury 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 raised his hand to Robben's face after some provocative words from Robben, directly following an earlier incident in which Reina committed a foul on Eidur Gudjohnsen. Robben fell theatrically to the turf, and Reina received a red card for 'violent behaviour'. As a result of the incident, Robben was branded a play-actor by various sections of the media, and Reina commented that Robben 'deserved an Oscar' for his theatrics. Reina's red card was not rescinded, however.

[edit] 2006-2007

After the Fifa World Cup 2006 where some startling performances on the left wing for the Netherlands brought much acclaim, the Dutch winger has had limited chances to shine in a new look Chelsea squad. With the arrivals of Andriy Shevchenko, Michael Ballack and Ashley Cole, Chelsea manager José Mourinho has largely shelved the 4-3-3 formation with 2 wingers that he has used over the past two seasons and instead begun using a 4-1-3-2 formation, with versatile midfielders Frank Lampard and Michael Essien on the flanks instead of specialist wingers like Robben. This has often seen Robben on the bench and given little time to make an impression.

Since November 2006, however, Mourinho has been giving 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 a period of uncertainty, Robben's role at Chelsea was unknown until the departure of fellow winger Damien Duff for Newcastle United.

Robben is now recognised as an important player for Chelsea in the injury-enforced absence of Joe Cole,^[8] 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 December 23, 2006 against Wigan, a match where he got two assists and the winning goal in. He was then sidelined for a few weeks due to a slight thigh strain.^[9] On January 13, 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 F.C. dated January 20, 2007.^[10] Robben made his return in a 3-0 victory against Middlesbrough F.C. on February 10, 2007 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 on February 21, 2007, making his presence felt immediately after sending in a cross that led to an equaliser scored by Andriy Shevchenko. Robben came on in the 2nd half of the Carling Cup final, and changing the game, providing the cross for Didier Drogba to head in the winner and also scored a crucial goal in the 2nd leg of the 2006-07 UEFA Champions League against Porto, which led to Chelsea winning the tie 3-2 on aggregate.

[edit] International career

Robben has played in 27 games for the Netherlands, scoring 8 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 with a 2-1 lead over the Czech Republic. The Czech team then scored two goals and won 3-2, which led to criticism and Advocaat's decision has since been called "The Substitution" by Dutch soccer fans.^[4] In the same tournament, it was Arjen who scored the deciding penalty in the shootout between Holland and Sweden, which ensured that at the fifth attempt, the Dutch finally won a penalty shootout.

Robben played in his first World Cup Qualifiers in 2006. In 6 games for the Netherlands, Robben scored 2 goals.^[11] The Netherlands qualified for the World Cup in 2006 and in Holland's opening match against Serbia and Montenegro, Robben scored the winning goal in the 18th minute, and was named the Man of the match.^[12] In the match against Côte d'Ivoire, Robben received this award the second time,^[13] thus becoming one of the eight players in the tournament to have won the Man of the Match Award more than once.

[edit] Personal life

He is engaged to Bernadien Eilliert,^[14] whom he met at high school in Groningen, at the Kamerlingh Onnes.^[15] His father, Hans, acts as his agent. In addition to being a talented football player, Robben is quite adept at chess.

[edit] Quotes

• Arjen Robben:

"I'm not a player who will just sit and pick up my wages if I am not playing."^[16]

• Dutch football great Johan Cruijff:
  

"Robben is all set to have a fabulous career. You need to have a lot of qualities to break through at the highest level in world football and he certainly has those. I have no doubts about his future whatsoever ... Robben is learning very quickly ... he keeps scoring goals and keeps playing well. He knows that I expect a lot from him, but I am sure he is going to live up to all my expectations."^[1]

• Tottenham Hotspur coach Martin Jol:

"There are maybe two or three players as good as he is in the last 20 or 30 years. He’s that good."^[17]

[edit] Awards and honours

Trophies

• Eredivisie (2002–03)
• Johan Cruijff-schaal (2003–04)
• English Premier League: 2
  

2004–05, 2005–06

• Football League Cup: 2
  

2004–05, 2006–07

• FA Community Shield: 1
  

2005-06

Personal honours

• U-21 European Footballer of the Year (2005)

[edit] Career statistics

(Correct as of 6 March 2007)

Club	Season	League			Cup[18]			Europe			Total
		Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists
FC Groningen	2001-02	22	6	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	22	6	-
PSV Eindhoven	2002-03	33	12	-	-	-	-	4	1	-	37	13	-
	2003-04	23	6	-	-	-	-	8	2	-	31	8	-
Chelsea F.C.	2004-05	18	7	9	6	1	-	5	1	-	29	9	9
	2005-06	28	6	2	6	1	2	6	0	1	40	7	5
	2006-07	18	2	6	4	0	1	7	1	1	28	3	8
Career totals											188	46	22

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Arjen Robben career stats at Soccerbase
• Official website
• FootballDatabase provides Arjen Robben's profile and stats
• BBC profile
• Profile & News at FootyMania.com

	Netherlands squad - 2006 FIFA World Cup
1 van der Sar | 2 Jaliens | 3 Boulahrouz | 4 Mathijsen | 5 van Bronckhorst | 6 Landzaat | 7 Kuyt | 8 Cocu | 9 van Nistelrooy | 10 van der Vaart | 11 Robben | 12 Kromkamp | 13 Ooijer | 14 Heitinga | 15 de Cler | 16 Maduro | 17 van Persie | 18 van Bommel | 19 Vennegoor of Hesselink | 20 Sneijder | 21 Babel | 22 Timmer | 23 Stekelenburg | Coach: van Basten

Chelsea F.C. - Current Squad
1 Čech | 3 A. Cole | 4 Makélélé | 5 Essien | 6 Carvalho | 7 Shevchenko | 8 Lampard | 9 Boulahrouz | 10 J. Cole | 11 Drogba | 12 Mikel | 13 Ballack | 14 Geremi | 16 Robben | 18 Bridge | 19 Diarra | 20 Ferreira | 21 Kalou | 22 Hedman | 23 Cudicini | 24 Wright-Phillips | 26 Terry | 33 Morais | 40 Hilário | 41 Makabu-Makalambay | 47 Sahar | 48 Woods | Manager: Mourinho