All eyes on Arjen
Forget Hakim Ziyech’s transfer to Chelsea or any multi-million moves by several Ajax players when the transfer market recovers. Whatever happens, the most remarkable summer signing has been done by ninth-placed Groningen, where Arjen Robben will make his comeback.
Eighteen years after leaving his boyhood club, where he started at the age of 12, the 36-year-old winger is back home. Last year, Robben announced his retirement after a decade at Bayern Munich, but now he is back at the club where it all started.
Only 16 years old and still a high school student, Robben made his debut in 2000, playing 46 league matches and scoring eight goals in two seasons. By then he had already attracted many top clubs, and he opted for PSV, turning down Ajax. A highly-successful journey followed in the colours of Chelsea, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. A career with loads of silverware including 11 league titles, six national cups and, of course, the Champions League, scoring the decider against Borussia Dortmund in 2013. Robben also has 96 caps for the Netherlands under his belt, being a key player at three European Championships and three World Cups. In the 2010 final, Iker Casillas prevented him from being the Oranje’s ultimate World Cup hero.
Robben’s return has elements of a Cinderella story. He isn’t opting for the Netherlands’ traditional top three or a comeback at Bayern – Groningen are nothing more than a mediocre mid-table club.
The real question is whether he will have a fairy-tale ending or a huge disappointment. After all, throughout his career Robben has been injury prone. In his last four seasons he missed 60 matches. Robben remains optimistic: “I’m in better shape than I had expected”, he said in preseason training. His fitness coach at Bayern, Holger Broich, also has no doubts.
One thing is for sure, he will be closely watched by many. That includes the new national coach – whoever Ronald Koeman’s successor may be – who might see Robben as an option for the postponed European Championship.
Season tickets sales in Groningen have increased, but it is uncertain how many will see him in action, even when he is playing. Due to the COVID-19 measures, social distancing is necessary and that will decrease the capacity. It is even forbidden to cheer or chant during the matches. So far no club has found a clue how they can prevent fans from supporting their club.
Nevertheless, when the Eredivisie starts, many will hope to see Robben in action against former club PSV on September 13 – though perhaps not Eindhoven’s new coach, Roger Schmidt.
The German is the best example of a new era of Eredivisie coaches who prefer a pressing style – a concept that is meticulously used at the Red Bull clubs. It was Schmidt’s RB Salzburg side that totally outplayed Ajax back in 2014, and the Eindhoven club have turned to him in order to wipe out two trophy-less seasons. In doing so, PSV have swept aside their traditional concept of former players – such as Phillip Cocu and Mark van Bommel – learning the ropes in the youth section before moving up. The big question though, is whether the 53-year-old German has the players to have his ideas executed.
Vitesse, for years Chelsea’s satellite club, have adopted a similar approach by appointing Thomas Letsch – Schmidt’s former assistant at Salzburg – as head coach, while Johannes Spors, once of RB Leipzig, is their new director.
FC Twente almost followed by appointing another former Leipzig man Alexander Zorniger, but he withdrew. Instead came Ron Jans, who is looking for rehabilitation after resigning from FC Cincinatti following allegations that he used a racial slur.
At the top of the table, Ajax will be the main contenders for the title, providing they can keep their squad relatively stable, with AZ their main challengers. It’s unclear whether Schmidt’s new-look PSV can contend, while Feyenoord are the dark horses.
Former Rangers manager Dick Advocaat has got the Rotterdam side back on track after replacing Jaap Stam in October 2019, as he remained unbeaten in the Eredivisie until the league came to a standstill.
The 72-year-old is still going strong, even if Dutch fans have not forgotten him for making “the worst decision in Dutch football history” – substituting man of the match Robben in a Euro 2004 game against the Czech Republic, and turning a 2-1 lead turned into a 3-2 defeat.
Whether Robben’s decision to return is set to be remembered in a similar way remains to be seen.
When the Eredivisie starts, many will hope to see Arjen Robben in action against former club PSV on September 13