Pep Guardiola
MAN CITY MANAGER
Racism is everywhere, it’s not just in football.
Munich – Veteran Dutch winger Arjen Robben will play no part in Bayern Munich’s Champions League clash at Ajax tonight due to an ongoing knee injury, the Bundesliga giants confirmed yesterday.
Robben, 34, has been out injured since scoring twice in a 5-1 win over group rivals Benfica last month and has yet to fully recover.
Robben, who scored Bayern’s winning goal against Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund in the 2013 Champions League final, confirmed in Monday’s edition of magazine Kicker that he will quit the Bavarian giants at the end of the season.
Both Ajax and Bayern are through to the Champions League last 16. Bayern, who sit top of Group E on 13 points, need just a point at the Amsterdam Arena tonight to qualify as group winners.
A win for Ajax would see the Dutch giants, who are two points behind Bayern, finish top of the group.
Apart from Robben, injured midfielders Corentin Tolisso and James Rodriguez have also been left out of coach Niko Kovac’s matchday squad. Robben said he will quit Bayern when his contract with the defending Bundesliga champions expires.
“Of course it’s a big step, which you don’t just make in one day.
“I thought about it a lot and it feels good that it’s now out, also for the fans and the club. It was the right point in time,” he said.
Robben also missed Saturday’s 3-0 league win at home to Nuremberg that left Bayern third in the table and nine points behind Bundesliga leaders Dortmund. Bayern’s senior bosses are planning a squad clear-out for next season and Robben says now is the right time to go, despite two stunning goals in the 5-1 thrashing of Benfica a fortnight ago.
“The game against Benfica was a nice confirmation that I can play at the highest level,” he added.
“On the other side, the club wants to change the face of the team and I want to prepare my future.” –