Gronings edition of Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gronings
Grunnegs or Grönnegs
Spoken in	Netherlands: Groningen, parts in the north and east of Drenthe, the east of the Frisian municipality Kollumerland
Region	Groningen
Native speakers	320,000 (est.)  (date missing)
Language family	Indo-European Germanic West Germanic West Low German Gronings
Official status
Official language in	the Netherlands (as part of Low Saxon)
Language codes
ISO 639-3	gos

Gronings (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɣroʊ̯.nɪŋs], locally [ˈxroː.nɪŋs]), in the dialect itself called Grunnegs or Grönnegs, is a collective name for some Friso-Saxon dialects spoken in the province of Groningen and around the Groningen border in Drenthe and Friesland. Gronings and the strongly related varieties in East-Frisia have a strong Frisian influence and take a remarkable position within the Low Saxon language. The dialect is characterized by a typical accent and vocabulary, which differ strongly from the other Low Saxon dialects.

Area[link]

The name Gronings can be perfectly geographically defined. The dialect in the north of the province of Drenthe (Noordenvelds) is so strongly related that most linguists see it as part of Gronings. The dialect of the southeast, called Veenkoloniaals, is alike on both sides of the Groningen-Drenthe border. In the Frisian municipality of Kollumerland, the western dialect called Westerkwartiers is also spoken, as well as a separate Groningen dialect called Kollumerpompsters. The latter is spoken in the Frisian village of Kollumerpomp and has more West Frisian influences, while most Groningen dialects have a strong East Frisian influence.

Dialects[link]

The Gronings language can be subdivided into 8 dialects:

Subdivision of the Groningen dialects

Gronings dialects in the provinces of Groningen, Friesland, and Drenthe

1. Kollumerpompsters
2. Westerkwartiers
3. Stadjeders
4. Hogelandsters
5. Oldambtsters
6. Westerwolds
7. Veenkoloniaals
8. Noordenvelds
9. Other varieties of Dutch/German Low Saxon

Example[link]

Though there are several differences between the dialects, they form a perfect whole. Most words are written the same way, but the pronunciation can differ. The examples show the pronunciation.

• Westerkertiers: t Eenege dat wie niet doun is slik uutdeeln
• Stadsgrunnegs (city): t Oinege dat wie noit doun is baaltjes oetdailn
• Hoogelaandsters: t Ainege dat wie nait dudden is slik oetdijln
• Westerwoolds: t Einege dat wie nich dun is slikkerij uutdeiln
• Veenkelonioals: t Ainege wat wie nait dudden is slikke uutduiln
• East Frisian Low Saxon: Dat eenzige, dat wi neet doon is Slickeree utdelen.
• Northern Low Saxon of Germany: Dat eenzige, dat wi nich doot, (dat) is Snabbelkraam uutdeeln.
• Standard Dutch: Het enige dat we niet doen is snoep uitdelen.
• Standard German: Das einzige, das wir nicht machen, ist Süßigkeiten austeilen.
• Scots: The anerly thing we dinnae dae is gie oot snashters.
• English: The only thing we do not do is hand out sweets.

Classification[link]

There are many uncertainties about the classification and categorization of Gronings. Some linguists see it as a variety of Low German, also called Nedersaksisch in the Netherlands. These words are actually more political than linguistic, because they unite a large group of very differing varieties. Categorizing Gronings as Low German or Low Saxon could be considered correct, but there is controversy surrounding the existence of the linguistic unity called Low Saxon/Low German.

Others, especially German linguists, see Gronings-East Frisian as a separate group of German dialects. The Frisian influence, the sounds ou, ai and ui and the typical accent are crucial here. Gronings-East Frisian would be categorized as Friso-Saxon instead of Low Saxon. Other linguists categorize all Gronings-East Frisian dialects as North Low Saxon. In that case, all the other Low Saxon varieties in the Netherlands are categorized as Westphalian.

Especially Dutch linguists classify Gronings as Dutch Low Saxon, in Germany also called Westplatt. In this case the Dutch influence is crucial, while the dialects on the other side of the national border are strongly influenced by High German. These influences concern especially the vocabulary, like the Dutch word "voorbeeld" (example) which is "veurbeeld" in Gronings while the East Frisian dialects use "biespööl", which is related to the High German word "beispiel". In this case there is no separation between Groningen-East Frisian (or North Low Saxon) and Westphalian, but rather a difference between Groningen and East Frisian. The national border would equal the linguistic border.

Origin[link]

The Gronings dialects are a kind of mix between two languages: Old Frisian (East Frisian) and Middle Low German. Frisian was spoken in the Ommelanden (surrounding lands of the city of Groningen), while the city of Groningen, the surrounding rural area called Gorecht and the eastern lordship of Westerwolde were Low Saxon. When the city of Groningen developed an important position in the Ommelanden, a switch from Frisian to Saxon occurred, although it was not a complete switch because there are many Frisian influences in the "new" Groningen language. Many Frisian words and grammatic features are still in use today. In less than one century, the same process also started in East Frisia, from the city of Emden, which was influenced by the Hanseatic League. This declares the strong relation between both varieties.

In the second half of the 16th century Gronings started to evolve towards Middle Dutch because of the strong influence of the new standard language. But because of the political, geographical and cultural isolation of Groningen, a strong provincialism in the first half of the 19th century caused Gronings to develop itself in a significant way. The sounds that are used today were formed in this period.

Usage[link]

Daily life[link]

Today approximately 65% of people from Groningen can speak and write Gronings. If the larger cities and villages of Groningen, Hoogezand-Sappemeer, Veendam, Stadskanaal, Delfzijl and Winschoten are excluded from this count, the percentage would rise to about 80%. Almost all of the older people use Gronings as their main language. Until the second half of the 20th century, Gronings was more important in Groningen than Dutch. Young people also speak the language frequently, although many pure Gronings words are lost.

Since the second half of the 20th century, the usage of the language is declining. Because of globalization, other languages like Dutch and English are becoming more important. Many parents today chose to raise their children in the Dutch language.

Media[link]

In the media Gronings is used frequently. For example on the local radio station Radio Noord, Gronings is used by the presenters and listeners. On the local television Gronings is less used. Something that is always in Gronings is the weather forecast. The news is always in Dutch, because not everyone who watches can speak Gronings. In the second half of 2007, the local television broadcast a series in Gronings called Boven Wotter. Another program that is in and about Gronings is Grunnegers, which is actually some kind of education in Gronings.

Examples of Gronings magazines are Toal en Taiken (language and signs) and Krödde, which actually means weed.

There are many Gronings dictionaries as well. The first official dictionary was the "Nieuw Groninger Woordenboek" and was put together by Kornelis ter Laan. This dictionary and the writing system used in the book became the basics of each dictionary and writing system ever since.

More recent is "Zakwoordenboek Gronings - Nederlands / Nederlands - Gronings" by Siemon Reker, which is a little less specific. K. G. Pieterman wrote a dictionary of Gronings alliterations which is titled Gezondhaid en Groutnis (sanity and greetings).

Education and culture[link]

Although Gronings, as part of Low Saxon, is an official language, it is not a mandatory subject in schools. Still, many primary schools in Groningen choose to give attention to the regional language. This attention varies from inviting storytellers to teaching about the language. In secondary schools Gronings does not receive much attention.

At the University of Groningen it is possible to study the language. In October 2007 Gronings became an official study within the faculty of letteren (language and literature). The new professor, Siemon Reker, had already undergone many studies in the language and is famous for his dictionary.

Another possible way to learn Gronings is taking classes. In the last few years the trend of people taking courses has risen. More and more people, also people from outside who come to live in the area in which Gronings is spoken, are interested in the language and are willing to take courses. There are two types of courses. The first one is understanding and the second one is understanding and speaking.

Every year around March a writing contest is held in every municipality in Groningen.^{By whom?} Everyone can participate and send in a poem or some prose. The winners of the different ages succeed to the provincial round.

Music[link]

Well known Groningen musical artists are Wia Buze, Alex Vissering, Eltje Doddema, Pé Daalemmer & Rooie Rinus, Burdy, Hail Gewoon and Ede Staal (†). Every year the supply of successful artists in regional languages in the Netherlands is rising.

Frisian substratum[link]

Some linguists classify Gronings to North Low Saxon, to which also East Frisian belongs. Both related dialects are characterized by a Frisian influence. Hence other linguists classify Gronings-East Frisian as a separate group of Northwest Low Saxon or Friso-Saxon dialects. The most important similarities are grammar features and the vocabulary. The most important differences are the writing system and the loanwords. The East Frisian writing system is based on High German while Gronings uses many Dutch features. For example the word for “ice skate” is in Gronings “scheuvel” and in East Frisian “Schöfel”, while the pronunciation is almost alike. Here are a few examples of words compared to West Frisian, East Frisian Low Saxon, German, Dutch and English.

The East Frisian combination -oo (for example in Bloot = blood) is pronounced like -ow in the English word “now”([blowt]; Gronings: blowd). In some parts of the Rheiderland they say blyowt, which is a leftover of Frisian in this area. The East Frisian combination -aa (for example in quaad) is pronounced like –a in the British English word “water”. In Gronings this sound is written like –oa. The word water would be written like “woatah” in Gronings. The pronunciation of the word “quaad” is similar to the Gronings word “kwoad”, which means “angry”. The East Frisian combination -ee and -eei (for example in neet) are pronounced like the –y in the English word “fly” ([nyt]; Gronings: nyt)*.

Linguistic distance from Standard Dutch[link]

After Limburgish, Gronings is the dialect with the farthest distance from Standard Dutch. Reasons for this are vocabulary and pronunciation. The Gronings vocabulary is quite different from Dutch, for example:

Gronings: Doe hest n hail ìnde luu dij scheuvellopen kinnen

Dutch: Jij hebt heel veel werknemers die kunnen schaatsen

English: You have a lot of employees who can ice skate

The pronunciation differs from the writing system. The combination -en is most of the times pronounced like -'n^{[clarification needed][IPA]}. The Groningen people speak quite fast compared to the Dutch people, with the result that a lot of words are pronounced together as one word. Thus the example sentence is pronounced in English like "doo'estn hyil'eande lu dy-skowfle-low'm kinn". In the word skowfle, the k can also be pronounced like the Dutch -g and the -ow is pronounced like in Australian English ([øw])^{[dubious – discuss]}. The Dutch pronunciation of that sentence is like "y'I habt hail vail warke'naymers dee cøhna sgahtse", in which the -g- is pronounced as in Dutch itself.

Another reason is the fact that Gronings is a dialect with a lot of own expressions. One third of the language consists of these expressions. In the example sentence n hail ìnde is an example of those expressions. Many of these are given in the 'Nieuwe Groninger Woordenboek' by K. ter Laan published in 1977, (1280pp).

Because of this far distance from Standard Dutch and the official status of the neighbouring Frisian, Grunnegs is considered as a separate language by some of its native speakers, while linguists consider it part of Dutch Low Saxon.

The German dialects. Gronings and East Frisian considered as one language.

Example[link]

Lord’s Prayer

Os Voader in Hemel, (litt. Our Father in Heaven)

dat Joen Noam haailegd worden zel, (litt. May Thy name be hallowed)

dat Joen Keunenkriek kommen mag, (litt. May Thy kingdom come)

dat Joen wil doan wordt (litt. May Thy will be done)

op Eerd net as in hemel. (litt. On earth, like in heaven)

t Stoet doar wie verlet om hebben (litt. The bread we need so badly)

geef os dat vandoag, (litt. give it to us today)

en reken os nait tou wat wie verkeerd doun, (litt. And do not blame us for the things we do wrong)

net zo as wie vergeven elk dij os wat aandut. (litt. As we forgive those who trespass against us)

En breng os nait in verlaaiden, (litt. And lead us not into temptation)

mor wil van verlaaider ons verlözzen. (litt. But deliver us from the tempter)

Den Joe binnen t Keunenkriek, (litt. Because Thou art the kingdom)

de Kracht en de Heerlekhaid. (litt. the Power and the Glory)

Veur in aiweghaid. (litt. For eternity)

Amen

Vocabulary[link]

As told before, the Gronings vocabulary is strongly related to East Frisian Low Saxon, Saterfrisian and West Frisian. However, today the pure Gronings vocabulary is in decline. More and more Gronings words are being replaced by “Groningized” Dutch words. For example the word “stevel” (boot, German “Stiefel”) is sometimes replaced by the word “leers” (Dutch “laars”). Although most people do know the pure words, they are less and less used, for example because people think others will not understand them or because they are too long and the Dutch word is much easier. An example of the latter is the word for sock, which is “Hozevörrel” in Gronings. The Dutch word “sok” is much easier, so it is more often used than hozevörrel.

Some often used Gronings words.

References[link]

External links[link]

• www.dideldom.com Dideldom
• www.sillius.nl/groningana Groningana
• Kursus Grunnegs Course in Gronings
• Kursus Grunnegs Course in Gronings on line
• Press release [1] Simon Reker has become Regular Chairholder for Gronings at Groningen University
• Press release [2] New teaching materials for younger pupils

For 15 years Linde Nijland was part of harmony singing folk duo Ygdrassil. 2007 marked the preliminary end of the group and Linde continued her career as a solo singer/songwriter. She has toured The Netherlands, UK, Austria, Belgium and Germany. Apart from five albums and a live DVD with Ygdrassil, she's recorded "Visman" (1999), "Linde Nijland sings Sandy Denny" (2003) and "Winterliederen" (2007). Since 2008 Linde has been working closely together with multi-instrumentalist Bert Ridderbos (guitars, cittern, accordion) with whom she started the international band "Het Internationaal Folkcomplot", a project that ran two years. Also she was part of the Sandy Denny anniversary tribute at The Troubadour in London and can be heard in the BBC radio documentary "The Sandy Denny story" by Bob Harris. July 2009 Linde was asked by Joe Boyd (former producer of, among others, Nick Drake, Incredible String Band, Fairport Convention, Pink Floyd) to sing the songs "Fotheringay" and "Si tu dois partir" as part of an 'All Star' Fairport Convention reunion concert in the Barbican Hall in London with original Fairport members Richard Thompson, Simon Nicol, Judy Dyble, Iain Mathews, Ashley Hutchings, Dave Mattacks and Dave Pegg.

In the fall of 2008 Linde and Bert Ridderbos went on a two month overland musical journey to the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, through Serbia, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan and India. In Bhutan they performed at a centenary concert in honour of the crowning of the fifth King. Along the way they gave concerts and made music with traditional musicians. The entire journey was filmed for a CD + roadmovie (with voice-over by Iain Matthews. The digipack (CD + DVD) was released by CRS in 2011.

Discography[link]

• Ygdrassil - Ygdrassil 1995
• Pieces - Ygdrassil 1996
• Visman - Linde 1999
• We visit many places - Ygdrassil 2000
• Nice days under darkest skies - Ygdrassil 2002
• Linde Nijland sings Sandy Denny 2003
• Easy Sunrise - Ygdrassil 2005
• DVD Live at the Folkwoods Festival - Ygdrassil 2007
• Winterliederen - with Henk Scholte & Bert Ridderbos 2007
• A Musical Journey / on the road to Bhutan - Linde Nijland & Bert Ridderbos (with musicians from Serbia, Iran, India, Bhutan) 2011
• Thanksgiving - Si Kahn, guest vocals, lead vocals on "Motherless Child" 2007

References[link]

• Reinhard Zierke's folkcollection

External links[link]

Official website

Christopher Bernhard von Galen

Christoph Bernhard Freiherr von Galen (12 October 1606, Drensteinfurt – 19 September 1678) was prince-bishop of Münster. He was born into a noble Westphalian family.

Biography[link]

Reduced to poverty through the loss of his paternal inheritance, he took holy orders; but this did not prevent him from fighting on the side of the emperor Ferdinand III during the concluding stages of the Thirty Years' War. In 1650, he succeeded Ferdinand of Bavaria, archbishop of Cologne, as bishop of Münster.

Coat of Arms of Christopher Bernhard von Galen

After restoring some degree of peace and prosperity in his principality, Galen had to contend with a formidable insurrection on the part of the citizens of Münster; but in 1661 this was solved by occupying the city. The bishop, who maintained a strong army, became an important personage in Europe. In 1664, he was chosen one of the directors of the imperial army raised to fight the Turks, but his troops came too late to fight; after the peace which followed the Christian victory at the Battle of St. Gotthard in August 1664, he aided Charles II of England in his Second Anglo-Dutch War with the Dutch, until the intervention of Louis XIV and Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg compelled him to make a disadvantageous peace in 1666 in Cleve.

When Galen again attacked the Dutch Republic six years later in the Franco-Dutch War, he was in alliance with Louis XIV, who helped him take Groenlo. His troops went more east and north and conquered not only Deventer and Coevorden. His army got stuck before the city of Groningen, failing to occupy the coast in the North, because of inundation of the fields on purpose and marshes that were almost impossible to cross. In October 1674 he withdrew his troops from the Dutch Republic and gave up his attempts to restore Catholic faith in the Eastern provinces. In 1675 he deserted his former ally, and fought for the emperor Leopold I against France. In conjunction with Brandenburg and Denmark he attacked Charles XI of Sweden, and conquered the Duchy of Bremen. Von Galen died at Ahaus.

He showed himself anxious to reform the church, and probably his chief energies were directed to increasing his power and prestige, but he succeeded in getting rid of foreign armies, occupying Westphalia since the Peace of Westphalia in 1648.

In popular culture[link]

In the Netherlands he carries the nickname "Bommen Berend" (Bernhard Bombs) because he unsuccessfully lay siege to the Dutch city of Groningen using bombs. A holiday of this name is still celebrated in the city of Groningen on the 28th of August to commemorate the breaking of the siege.^[1]

References[link]

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Galen, Christoph Bernhard, Freiherr von". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

External links[link]

• Online-Biography of Christoph Bernhard von Galen (German)

Arjen Robben

Personal information
Full name	Arjen Robben
Date of birth	(1984-01-23) 23 January 1984 (age 28)
Place of birth	Bedum, Netherlands
Height	1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Playing position	Winger
Club information
Current club	Bayern Munich
Number	10
Youth career
0000–1996	vv Bedum
1996–2000	Groningen
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2000–2002	Groningen	50	(8)
2002–2004	PSV	56	(17)
2004–2007	Chelsea	67	(15)
2007–2009	Real Madrid	50	(11)
2009–	Bayern Munich	62	(40)
National team‡
	Netherlands U–17	3	(1)
	Netherlands U–19	4	(1)
	Netherlands U–20	3	(0)
	Netherlands U–21	5	(0)
2003–	Netherlands	55	(17)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15:10, 5 May 2012 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 27 May 2012

Arjen Robben (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɑrjən ˈrɔbə(n)]; born 23 January 1984) is a Dutch footballer who plays for the German Bundesliga club Bayern Munich. Though often classified as a forward, he usually plays behind the forwards (inside position) as a winger, and he is also known for his dribbling skills, speed, crossing ability and his accurate long-range shot. He is also a part of the Netherlands national team and has appeared at Euro 2004, the 2006 World Cup, Euro 2008 and at the 2010 World Cup.

Robben first came to prominence with Groningen, for whom he was player of the year for the 2000–01 Eredivisie season. Two years later he signed for PSV, where he became the Netherlands' Young Player of the Year and won an Eredivisie title.^[2] The following season Robben's signature was pursued by leading English clubs, and after protracted transfer negotiations he joined Chelsea in the 2004 close season.

Robben's Chelsea debut was delayed through injury, but upon returning to fitness he helped Chelsea to consecutive Premier League titles, and was the FA Premier League Player of the Month in November 2005.^[3][4] After a third season in England which was punctuated by injury, Robben moved to Spanish club Real Madrid for €35 million. In August 2009, Robben transferred to Bayern Munich for a fee of around €25 million,^[5] scoring two goals on his debut. In his first season in Munich, Bayern won the league title, Robben's fifth league title in eight years, and got to the Champions League final. After his first season with the Bavarian club, the player was also named Footballer of the Year in Germany.^[6]

Early football life[link]

Robben was born in Bedum, a satellite town of Groningen in north-eastern Netherlands. He took to football from an early age, becoming an adherent of the Coerver Method.^[7] Robben's skill in ball control and technical footwork made him a valuable player, and he was quickly signed by regional club FC Groningen. Here, he developed his distinctive style of cutting inside from the right onto his left foot to score some quite spectacular goals.^[8]

Club career[link]

Groningen[link]

Groningen placed Robben in their first team for the 1999–2000 season. He scored 3 goals in league play. Manager Jan van Dijk added the winger to the first team before Groningen's November 2000 away game against Twente, but he did not play until 3 December 2000 against Waalwijk, as a substitute for the injured Leonardo dos Santos in the 79th minute. Over the winter, Robben managed to play himself into the starting lineup. In 18 starts for Groningen over the 2000–01 season, he scored two goals.^[9] Robben was named player of the year for his first season with the club, and with teammate Jordi Hoogstrate, he demonstrated the strength of the Groningen youth academy. Robben stayed with Groningen and improved steadily during the 2001–02 season, playing in 28 matches and scoring six goals.^[9] Robben transferred to PSV for €3.9 million before the 2002–03 season.^[2]

PSV[link]

During his first season for PSV, the 2002–03 season, Robben played 33 matches and scored 12 goals.^[9] He was named "PSV co-player of the year" along with striker Mateja Kežman, with whom he formed an attacking partnership still fondly referred to by PSV fans as "Batman and Robben".^[10] He helped lead PSV to their 17th Dutch title, and won the Talented Player of the Year award.^[11] After this good start, PSV could not keep up with rival Ajax and were forced into a fight for second place in the Eredivisie. Robben travelled to London and met with Manchester United coach Sir Alex Ferguson. Ferguson's offer came in much too low for PSV's and Robben's liking; PSV chairman Harry van Raaij told Manchester United the most that their €7 million offer would buy them was a shirt with Robben's autograph. Almost immediately, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich offered €18 million (£12.1 million), and PSV accepted.^[12] The rest of his season with PSV was disappointing. He injured his hamstring twice and missed several games.^[13][14] By the end of the season, Robben scored five times in 23 Eredivisie matches.^[9]

Chelsea[link]

Robben celebrates winning the 2004–05 Premiership

Robben did not make his competitive debut for Chelsea until November 2004, as he was injured in a pre-season friendly match against Roma, breaking a metatarsal bone in his right foot in a challenge from Olivier Dacourt.^[3] During this time, he told club doctors that he had noticed an unfamiliar growth on one of his testicles. The medical team quickly did tests to check for testicular cancer, but he was subsequently given the all clear.^[15]

Robben proved to be a crucial player for the 2004–05 season; in November 2004, he was awarded the FA Premier League "Player of the Month" award.^[3][4] Robben ended the 2004–05 season with seven goals, his second highest professional total. He was shortlisted for the PFA Young Player of the Year, but was beaten by Wayne Rooney of Manchester United.^[16][17] Robben was badly injured in a league game away to Blackburn Rovers and forced to sit out Chelsea's title run-in and progress to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League.^[18] Back to fitness for 2005–06, Robben was an integral part of the Chelsea left wing. In 28 matches, Robben contributed six goals as Chelsea won a second consecutive Premier League championship, the first back-to-back titles for the west London club.^[9]

Robben with Chelsea

The 2005–06 season saw Robben involved in an unsporting incident with Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina. Towards the end of a league game between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge, which Chelsea won 2–0, Reina shoved his hand in Robben's face after some provocative words from Robben. Robben fell theatrically to the turf, and Reina received a red card for "violent behaviour", as violent conduct is illegal. As a result of the incident Reina commented that Robben "did well enough to win an Oscar" for his theatrics. Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez later joked in a post-match interview that he "would soon be going to hospital to check on Robben's condition". Reina's red card was not rescinded.^[19] Robben was later named man of the match on 23 December 2006 against Wigan, a match where he got two assists and the winning goal.^[20]

Robben was inflicted with yet another injury in a match against Liverpool on 20 January 2007.^[21] Robben made his return in a 3–0 victory against Middlesbrough in February driving in a shot that took a deflection past Mark Schwarzer for an own goal by Abel Xavier.^[22] He came on as a substitute for Claude Makelele in the 2007 League Cup Final against Arsenal and set up the winning goal for Didier Drogba.^[23] Robben scored a goal in the second round of the UEFA Champions League against Porto, which led to Chelsea winning the tie 3–2 on aggregate. At the end of March 2007, Robben underwent a knee operation after sustaining a knee injury upon returning from international duty that was expected to rule him out for at least four weeks.^[24] He only made two further appearances for Chelsea, both of which were as a substitute^[25] and both of which would prove to be key games for the club. His first appearance since returning from injury was against Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League semi final second leg which went to penalties. Robben went on to have his penalty saved by Pepe Reina, and Chelsea ultimately lost.^[26] His final appearance for the club came against Manchester United in the 2007 FA Cup Final. Robben replaced Joe Cole at half time, but was then subsequently substituted himself for Ashley Cole in extra time as Chelsea emerged victorious.^[27] Spanish club Real Madrid were interested in two of Chelsea's players. Then manager Bernd Schuster is said to have demanded Michael Ballack, while Madrid's former president, Ramón Calderón, was known to favour Robben.^[28] Robben said to reporters of Spanish newspaper AS: "I do not know when a deal will be reached. I would like to send a message to the Madrid fans, but I can't until my future is sorted."^[29][30]

Real Madrid eventually secured Robben's services in August 2007.^[31] He told Chelsea's official club website: "It was difficult to leave because I had a great time in my three years at Chelsea and I made a lot of friends. There was no time to say goodbye because the deal was closed on the Wednesday at 10 o'clock in the evening and the following morning I had to fly. If I have one day off I would want to come back and say goodbye because to the fans I owe a big thank you because they were always good to me. In my three years I won all the prizes there are to win in England."^[32]

Real Madrid[link]

Robben playing for Real Madrid

Robben completed his move to Real Madrid on a five-year deal on 22 August 2007,^[33] with the transfer fee reported as £24 million^[34][35] (€35 million). He made his debut on 18 September as a substitute for Raúl during a Champions League match against Werder Bremen, which Real Madrid won 2–1.^[36] His league debut came on 23 September, this time as a substitute for Royston Drenthe in a 1–1 away draw against Valladolid.^[37] On 10 February 2008, Robben scored his first goal, this time at home in a 7–0 victory against Valladolid.^[38] Robben proved crucial for many Real Madrid matches, making his famous runs down the left wing, and quickly became a first choice for the left midfield position, making 28 appearances during his debut season and scoring five goals. Real Madrid won the league title with some games to spare, and were already the champions of Spain when they played their arch-rivals FC Barcelona on 7 May 2008. The Barcelona players formed a guard of honor as the Madrid team came onto the pitch at the Santiago Bernabéu, and Robben played an important part in Real Madrid's subsequent 4–1 victory, scoring the champions' second goal.^[39]

He retained his key role in the Real Madrid midfield during the 2008–09 season, playing 35 times and scoring eight goals. Although the Dutchman was one of the Spanish side's most important players in the pre-season games leading up to the 2009–10 season, having scored three goals and help set up another four, he was among the players whose place in the first team became threatened following the arrival of Florentino Pérez and the signings of Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaká. Real Madrid accepted a bid of around €25 million for Robben from Bayern Munich.^[40][41] Robben claimed he was "forced" to leave Real Madrid, saying that he "didn't want to go, but the club wanted to sell him".^[42]

Bayern Munich[link]

Robben training with Bayern Munich.

On 28 August 2009, Robben moved to Bayern Munich for around €25 million. He was given the number 10 shirt, last worn by his fellow Dutchman, Roy Makaay.^[43][44] His debut came the day after. He came on as a half-time substitute against Wolfsburg, scored two goals, and helped his team beat last season's champions in Bayern's first win of the season.^[45][46] On 9 March 2010, Robben scored the deciding goal in Bayern's 2–3 defeat (4–4 on aggregate over two legs) against Fiorentina, taking them through to the quarter finals of the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League on away goals.^[47]

On 7 April 2010, Robben sent Bayern Munich into the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League with a stunning volley against Manchester United from the edge of the area into the corner of the net. The game ended 3–2 to United (4–4 on aggregate) with Bayern advancing again due to away goals.^[48]

On 17 April 2010, he scored his first hat-trick in the Bundesliga against Hannover 96 in the Allianz Arena. The game ended 7–0 to the Bavarians.^[49] On 8 May 2010, he won his first Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich after scoring two goals in their 3–1 victory over Hertha BSC Berlin, finishing as Bayern's top scorer in the process.^[50]

A week later, Bayern Munich played in the DFB-Pokal Final against the previous champions of the tournament, Werder Bremen, in Berlin's Olympiastadion. Bayern Munich won the game by 4–0; Arjen Robben scored the first of those four goals from a penalty kick. Robben thus helped the Bavarians achieve their fifteenth DFB Pokal title. On 25 May 2010, Robben was named Footballer of the Year in Germany for the year 2010.^[51] He won the election by attaining a record 72.1% of the vote and was the first Dutch person to win this election.

The 2010–11 season started badly for Robben, after medical tests confirmed that his hamstring had not properly healed and that he would be out for two months.^[52] Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge stated that "Of course, Bayern Munich are very angry" with the Dutch FA, and would be seeking compensation from them, continuing "Once again we must pay the bill as a club after a player is seriously injured playing for a national team."^[52] On 15 January 2011, he returned to first team action, coming on as a substitute in the 1–1 away draw with VfL Wolfsburg.

Robben was nominated for the "UEFA Champions League Best Midfielder", but this went to his international compatriot Wesley Sneijder. He has also been nominated for the prestigious Ballon d'Or award, and the FIFA Puskás Award, which goes to the best goal of the year, and he has also been nominated for FIFA’s "FIFPro World XI 2010" squad, thanks to his fantastic season with Bayern Munich.

On 3 May 2012 it was reported that Robben has signed a new contract with Bayern which will last till 2015.^[53]

In the second leg of the semi-finals of the Champions League, against his former team Real Madrid which was now managed by Jose Mourinho (who had been his manager at Chelsea), after Bayern initially fell behind 2–0, Robben converted a penalty to level the tie at 3–3. Bayern advanced to the final after winning the shootout.^[54] Robben had an extra-time penalty saved by former teammate Petr Cech in the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final at the Allianz Arena against Chelsea. Had the penalty gone in, Bayern Munich would have led Chelsea 2–1, however the match ending up went to a shootout which Chelsea won.^[55] That was the fourth major cup final that he had been on the losing side during the last two years (World Cup final, two Champions League finals and the DFB Pokal). Three days later in the same stadium while playing as a second half substitute for the Netherlands in a friendly against Bayern Munich, he was jeered by some disgruntled Bayern Munich fans every time he touched the ball (due to his penalty miss in the Champions League final, and as he did not play on Bayern's side during that match due to a decision by Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk).^[56] The match had been organized to compensate Bayern, since Robben aggravated an injury playing for the Netherlands at the 2010 World Cup, and went on to miss several months of the 2010–11 season.^[57]

Style of play[link]

Robben is known for his speed with the ball. He usually plays right wing, but can also converge in the centre and shoot with his powerful left foot.

International career[link]

Euro 2004[link]

Robben has played in 52 games for the Netherlands, scoring 16 goals. The first international experience of Robben's career came in Euro 2004 when manager Dick Advocaat called up younger players, such as Wesley Sneijder and John Heitinga. During Euro 2004, Advocaat substituted Robben in the 66th minute to defend a 2–1 lead over the Czech Republic. However, the Czech team then scored two goals and won 3–2, which led to criticism about Advocaat's decision.^[58] In the same tournament, it was Robben, who scored the deciding penalty in the shootout between the Netherlands and Sweden, which ensured that at the fifth attempt, the Dutch finally won a penalty shootout.^[59]

2006 World Cup[link]

Robben played in his first 2006 World Cup qualifier in 2006. In six games for the Netherlands, Robben scored two goals.^[60] The Netherlands qualified for the World Cup in 2006 and in the Netherlands opening match against Serbia and Montenegro, Robben scored the winning goal in the 18th minute, and was named the Man of the match. In the match against Côte d'Ivoire, Robben received this award the second time, thus becoming one of the eight players in the tournament to have won the Man of the Match Award more than once.^[61]

Euro 2008[link]

Robben (left) with Robin van Persie.

Robben (left) with Wesley Sneijder training for the Netherlands.

Robben in 2009 prior to a match against Japan.

During the Euro 2008, manager Marco van Basten changed the formation to 4–2–3–1, preferring the midfield trio of Rafael van der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder and Dirk Kuyt. Robben was left to battle it out with Robin van Persie for a place on the wing. In the group match against France, which the Netherlands won 4–1, Robben was brought on at half-time. He dragged the ball out of reach of a defender near the half-way line and paced his way ahead of three defenders, then crossed straight to van Persie who powered a shot into the goal past Grégory Coupet, who did well enough to get a hand onto it. At 2–0, Thierry Henry scored a goal, making it 2–1, and almost directly after the restart, Robben was played through by Sneijder and he ran at the France goal and was forced into an acute angle, but despite the angle, he shot the ball into the net past Coupet.

2010 World Cup[link]

Robben was selected by the Netherlands manager Bert van Marwijk for the final squad of 23 for the World Cup.^[62][63] In the last friendly match against Hungary, just before the flight to South Africa on 4 June, Robben fell awkwardly towards the end of the match, and picked up a hamstring injury which caused concern over his fitness for the world cup.^[64] On 5 June, Van Marwijk announced that he'd "decided not to summon any substitute for Arjen. I want to give him every chance to still participate in the World Cup."^[65] On 12 June 2010, Arjen arrived in South Africa to join the team.^[66] He was an unused substitute for the opening game against Denmark as they coasted to a 2–0 victory, and again in the 1–0 victory against Japan. He came on in the 73rd minute against Cameroon in their 2–1 victory, hitting the post from which Klaas-Jan Huntelaar scored from the rebound.^[67] On 28 June 2010, he started his first match against Slovakia in which he went on to score the first goal in the second round as the Netherlands won 2–1. He also went on to pick up the man of the match award.^[68] Robben scored the third goal with a well-placed header in the semi-finals against Uruguay which the Netherlands won 3–2 to reach the final.^[69] Robben played for the full match in the final as the Netherlands lost 1–0 to Spain.^[70] Robben was also nominated for the 2010 World Cup Golden Ball, the tournament's best player, which was won by Diego Forlán.

Personal life[link]

Robben married his girlfriend Bernadien Eillert on 9 June 2007 in Groningen.^[71] The two met while in high school in the city, at the Kamerlingh Onnes,^[72] and have two sons, Luka born in 2008 and Kai born 2012 and a daughter, Lynn born in 2010.^[73][74] Robben's father, Hans, acts as his agent.^[75]

The circumstances of Arjen and Bernadien's first meeting have been reported by his former youth coach, Barend Beltman. 'Arjen was driven and determined at a young age. He was always on time, never late. But one Friday afternoon he showed up 15 minutes past the start of practice. I asked him what was going on. "We were at the market square, having fun", he said. There were some girls with him and his friends, so I asked, "Was she worth it?" "Yes, trainer, she was", he told me. I told him to get his gear and join the training session. At his wedding, I heard the woman he met that day was now his wife and mother of his children. Bernadien is her name.'^[76]

Robben speaks fluent Dutch, German, English and Spanish.

Career statistics[link]

Club statistics[link]

As of 19 May 2012

International[link]

International statistics[link]

Robben with Dutch teammate Dirk Kuyt.

^[77]

International goals[link]

Arjen Robben: International Goals

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	11 October 2003	Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands	Moldova	5–0	5–0	Euro 2004 qualifying
2.	18 February 2004	Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, Netherlands	United States	1–0	1–0	Friendly
3.	17 November 2004	Mini Estadi, Barcelona, Spain	Andorra	0–2	0–3	2006 World Cup qualifiation
4.	4 June 2005	De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands	Romania	1–0	2–0	2006 World Cup qualifiation
5.	17 August 2005	De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands	Germany	1–0	2–2	Friendly
6.	17 August 2005	De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands	Germany	2–0	2–2	Friendly
7.	11 June 2006	Zentralstadion, Leipzig, Germany	Serbia and Montenegro	0–1	0–1	2006 World Cup
8.	16 August 2006	Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Republic of Ireland	Republic of Ireland	0–2	0–4	Friendly
9.	1 June 2008	De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands	Wales	2–0	2–0	Friendly
10.	13 June 2008	Stade de Suisse, Berne, Switzerland	France	3–1	4–1	Euro 2008
11.	10 June 2009	De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands	Norway	2–0	2–0	2010 World Cup qualification
12.	5 June 2010	Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, Netherlands	Hungary	3–1	6–1	Friendly
13.	5 June 2010	Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, Netherlands	Hungary	6–1	6–1	Friendly
14.	28 June 2010	Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban, South Africa	Slovakia	1–0	2–1	2010 World Cup
15.	6 July 2010	Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa	Uruguay	3–1	3–2	2010 World Cup
16.	29 February 2012	Wembley Stadium, London, England	England	0–1	2–3	Friendly
17.	29 February 2012	Wembley Stadium, London, England	England	2–3	2–3	Friendly

Honours[link]

Club[link]

Robben and teammate Petr Čech celebrate their second Premier League title.

PSV

• Eredivisie (1): 2002–03
• Johan Cruijff Shield (1): 2003

Chelsea

• Premier League (2): 2004–05, 2005–06
• FA Cup (1): 2007
• League Cup (2): 2005, 2007
• FA Community Shield (1): 2005

Real Madrid

• La Liga (1): 2007–08
• Supercopa de España (1): 2008

Bayern Munich

• Bundesliga (1): 2009–10
• DFB-Pokal (1): 2010
• DFB-Supercup (1): 2010–11
• UEFA Champions League Runner-up: 2009–10, 2011–12

Netherlands[link]

Robben with Dirk Kuyt on a boat in Amsterdam following the 2010 World Cup.

• FIFA World Cup (Silver Medalist) (1): 2010

Individual[link]

• Netherlands' Young Player of the Year (1): 2003
• Premier League Player of the Month (1): November 2004
• PFA Team of the Year (1): 2005
• Premier League Goal of the Month (1): December 2005
• Bravo Award (1): 2005
• Goal of the Month in Germany (3): January 2010, March 2010, April 2010
• Der Kicker Player Of The Year (1): 2010^[78]
• Footballer of the Year (Germany) (1): 2010
• UEFA Team of the Year (1): 2010–11

References[link]