Both have won numerous trophies at Bayern Munich. Both were at the club for more than ten seasons. Precious liars and consummate wizards whose presence during the most successful period in Bayern Munich’s recent history will indeed ensure that the exploits of Arjan Robben and Franck Ribery will forever remain in the memory of those who travel in and out of the border. The combination of Arjen Robben and Franck Ribéry is at the heart of Bayern Munich’s success.
Like Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben had an impressive debut season in Germany, becoming Bayern Munich’s top scorer, winning the Bundesliga and DFB Cup double. Enough to claim the legendary word for both. However, Robbens’ decisive introduction to Bayern will be well-deserved with a league and cup double, ensuring the Dutchman almost repeats Franck Ribery’s debut season adorned with crimson red Bayern Munich. Like Ribéry a few seasons earlier, their first tandem season ended with Player of the Year recognition, scoring 23 goals in all competitions for Bayern.
Plans from Ribery accompanied every goal from Arjen Robben as they both started the counter-attack. Their speed also left their teammates gasping for air. They buried the hatchet when Bayern Munich won a historic hat-trick a year later. Franck Ribery set Robben up for an 89-minute victory over Borussia Dortmund in the 2013 Champions League Final Wembley. Like any movie with a happy ending, Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben teamed up to win in the 89th minute, ending Bayern Munich’s Arjen Robben’s sinister Champions League.
Even being neutral, you never get tired of the Flying Dutchman breaking through from the right, from the left foot or the French magician doing the same on the left flank, passing the defenders, quick movements and legs allowed the two to create, score and, above all, he scores goals and wins for Bayern Munich. The French magician spent 12 years in Munich (10 years with the Flying Dutchman), formed a lethal partnership on the flanks, and ensured that Robben would settle in well and never regret his decision to join the club electrifying the crowd, blinding opponents and winning matches for Bayern. The French magician has won 9 championship titles, followed by Robben with 8, who joins other legends of the calibre of Philip Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Oliver Kahn.
Barely a year after the Dutchman’s arguably best individual season, his 17 Bundesliga goals nearly earned him the league’s top scorer award; it’s hard to see why Robben shouldn’t be a leading player in the league or Bayern Munich attack. The Dutchman missed much of the first half of that season with several muscle injuries, and Bayern fared reasonably well in his absence as Douglas Costa, Thomas Müller and Robert Lewandowski caught up to form a devastating attacking trio. After the two wingers left the club, the attack is now led by many new well-experienced players with the support of the in-form striker Lewandowski.
