Arjen Robben is thriving at FC Bayern München and has predicted that he will stay at the club "for a very long time" (© imago)
Arjen Robben is thriving at FC Bayern München and has predicted that he will stay at the club "for a very long time" (© imago)

Robben: 'Bayern are the best team I’ve played with'

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Munich - FC Bayern München winger has stated his desire to stay at the club for the considerable future, saying that “Bayern [are] the best team, for sure, that I have played with.”

'I will stay here for a very long time'

Speaking after the Bavarians’ astonishing 7-1 thrashing of AS Roma in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, the 30-year-old told The Telegraph that the German record champions are “the perfect club with the perfect manager for me.”

The Dutchman moved to Munich in summer 2009 and insists that he has no intention of leaving: “I’m enjoying it so much over here. My family is happy, we have lived here for five years and I am exactly at the place I want to be. It cannot be better than it is at the moment, so you don’t need to have thoughts about other clubs and other leagues […] At the moment, there is not even one per cent of me thinking about going to England or anywhere.”

“I am 30 now, it is not like I want to go to a new league,” Robben said. “I have been in England, I have been in Spain, so I don’t have that desire, but that is all to do with the club I am with now. I am 100 per cent convinced I will stay here for a very long time.”

Fitness crucial


He emphasised that part of the appeal of staying in the Bavarian capital is the opportunity to work with tactical mastermind Pep Guardiola. “I have worked under [Louis] van Gaal, and now Guardiola,” he said. “And I feel so privileged to have worked for these great coaches because it has certainly helped me make good steps […] It was the most important step of my career to go from Real Madrid to Bayern. It was the best move of my career.”

Robben has indeed flourished at Bayern, particularly in recent years - a trend he puts down to improved fitness. “It is maybe more noticeable now because I am playing well over a longer period,” he said. “Before, I would do well for three or four months, maybe play even better, but then there would be an injury and you have to come back again. But now, being fit continually, I can keep my level and that means you can enjoy your football more.”

Gladbach test


The winger visibly revelled in his role on the right wing in Rome on Tuesday, telling bundesliga.com that “it was a fantastic evening. Those are the kind of games you become a footballer for. It was a surprising result as we were expecting them to compete more […] Tactically, our coach set us up perfectly. We really enjoyed ourselves a lot out on the pitch.” Now, however, his focus is fully on Sunday’s top-of-the-table encounter away to second-placed Borussia Mönchengladbach.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” Robben said. “Gladbach have had a great start to the season so far. Looking from the outside in, they’re up there because they’ve got a very good coach. They’ve got a strong, balanced squad and up front they’ve got players who can make the difference. They’re very stable and well organised, so we’ll need to be wide awake. It’ll be interesting.”

Check out the highlights of past encounters between Gladbach and Bayern on the Bundesliga's official Youtube channel: