Robben: 'We've had a great season'
Hamburg - FC Bayern München delivered the best possible response to Tuesday’s heavy loss to Real Madrid CF in the UEFA Champions League, beating relegation-threatened Hamburger SV 4-1 at the Imtech Arena on Saturday.
After the game, Arjen Robben spoke to bundesliga.com about that defeat to the Spanish giants, as well as Bayern's meeting with Borussia Dortmund in the DFB Cup final...
bundesliga.com: Arjen Robben, how did Bayern manage to get back on track so quickly following the heavy 4-0 defeat to Real Madrid?
Arjen Robben: It wasn’t easy of course, but we’re professionals and we know that we have to keep looking forward. It was important we took another step in the right direction at HSV, because we have to rediscover our best form in time for our next final.
bundesliga.com: Was Pep Guardiola putting you through your paces in the days leading up to Saturday’s match, or has it been business as usual since the loss to Madrid?
Robben: The coach always finds the right words to put us in the right frame of mind, but when that whistle blows we have to make sure we do our jobs on the pitch. We’re experienced enough to know what’s at stake. First and foremost, we’re playing for ourselves and the club, but we always have to respect our opponents and the Bundesliga. After all, there are livelihoods at stake for teams that are fighting relegation.
bundesliga.com: FC Bayern have now scored 46 goals away from home this season, beating SV Werder Bremen’s previous record from the 2006/07 season. Do records like that still make you proud?
Robben: At the end of the day it’s all about titles, not records. But the number of goals we’ve scored proves that we’ve had a great season. After the 4-0 defeat to Real, everything was put into question. We were the best team in the world for the entire season, then we lose a match and suddenly everything’s going wrong. In my opinion, people read too much into that defeat.
bundesliga.com: How do you cope with that sort of criticism? Is there a way of putting it to the back of your mind?
Robben: We’ve been through so much as a team. We’ve had our fair share of disappointments, but we’ve also had plenty of fantastic moments. The most important thing in these situations is to stick together, remain positive and keep going.
bundesliga.com: You’ve still got the DFB Cup final in Berlin to look forward to after the last game of the season. Would winning the double make up in part for getting knocked out of the Champions League?
Robben: Definitely, but we’ve already had a great season as it is. I think our fans and all the experts agree.
Interview: Michael Reis
Check out this fantastic scissors kick by Bayern striker Claudio Pizarro, courtesy of the official Bundesliga YouTube channel:
