Arjen Robben reveals he was 'tickled' by thought of a retirement U-turn

Arjen Robben has contemplated a return to football since his retirement last July, though he is not expecting to act on that urge.

Published : Apr 26, 2020 18:54 IST

Arjen Robben won eight Bundesliga titles, five DFB-Pokal crowns and one Champions League title in his career.
Arjen Robben won eight Bundesliga titles, five DFB-Pokal crowns and one Champions League title in his career.
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Arjen Robben won eight Bundesliga titles, five DFB-Pokal crowns and one Champions League title in his career.

Former Bayern Munich and Netherlands winger Arjen Robben acknowledged there was a period when the idea of reversing his retirement decision "tickled" him.

Robben brought his playing career to a halt at the end of the 2018-19 season after spending an immensely successful 10 years with Bayern. In that time, he won eight Bundesliga titles, five DFB-Pokal crowns and the Champions League once, playing a key role in many of those triumphs.

Robben suffered with injury problems through much of his career and it came as little surprise – despite reports of a potential return to the Eredivisie – when he announced his retirement in July after his release by Bayern. And while the 36-year-old revealed the idea of returning to the pitch has crossed his mind, realistically it is not a decision he is expecting to make.

'I'm just an athlete'

"In the beginning I didn't miss football at all, but then there was a period when it tickled again and I had thoughts such as, 'Hey, maybe I would like to play a little again'," he told the FC Bayern podcast.

"From time to time I still have this feeling. With this coronavirus [situation], it is a very strange time for everyone and if it does come again [the thought of returning to football], then it's now. But maybe it always stays a bit in there. I'm just an athlete."

As well as an illustrious career at club level, Robben also played 96 times for the Netherlands.

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