1984 UEFA European Football Championship

UEFA Championnat Européen de Football France 1984
200px UEFA Euro 1984 official logo
Tournament details
Host country	France
Dates	12 June – 27 June
Teams	8
Venue(s)	7 (in 7 host cities)
Final positions
Champions	France (1st title)
Runners-up	Spain
Tournament statistics
Matches played	15
Goals scored	41 (2.73 per match)
Attendance	597,639 (39,843 per match)
Top scorer(s)	Michel Platini (9 goals)
← 1980 1988 →

The 1984 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in France. West Germany also bid for the hosting of this event.^[1] It was the seventh European Football Championship, held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. The final tournament took place from 12 to 27 June 1984.

At the time, only eight countries took part in the final stage of the tournament, seven of which had to come through the qualifying stage. France qualified automatically as hosts of the event; led by Michel Platini, who scored nine goals in France's five matches, Les Bleus won the tournament – their first major international title.

Qualification[link]

1984 UEFA European Football Championship finalists.

The following teams participated in the final tournament:

•  Belgium
•  Denmark
•  France (automatically qualified as host)
•  Portugal
•  Romania
•  Spain
•  Yugoslavia
•  West Germany

Mascot[link]

The official mascot of this European Championship was Peno, a rooster, representing the emblem of the host nation, France. It has the number 84 on the left side of its chest and its outfit is the same as the French national team, blue shirt, white shorts and red socks.

Organisation[link]

Tournament format[link]

After trying out several formats, UEFA finally developed for the 1984 tournament the format that would serve for all subsequent eight-team European Championships. The eight qualified teams were split into two groups of four that played a round-robin schedule. The top two teams of each group advanced to semi-finals (reintroduced after being absent from the 1980 tournament) and the winners advanced to the final. The third-place game, widely perceived as an unnecessary chore, was dropped. As usual at the time, a win was credited with two points only, teams on equal points were ranked by goal difference instead of head-to-head results, and the sudden-death rule in extra time did not apply.

Venues and fixtures[link]

France's winning bid to host the Euro was based on seven stadia. The 48,000-seat Parc des Princes in Paris was the venue for the opening match and the final. Built in 1972, it was still state-of-the-art in 1984 and needed minor improvements only. Marseille's Stade Vélodrome was expanded to 55,000 seats to host one semi-final and some group matches, becoming France's largest stadium on the occasion. Stade de Gerland in Lyon, the venue for the other semi-final and some group matches as well, was thoroughly renovated and expanded to 40,000. Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint-Étienne and Stade Félix-Bollaert in Lens were the other existing stadia that hosted group matches and were expanded to 53,000 and 49,000, respectively. Lastly, two all-new stadia were built to host group matches (and subsequently provided worthy home grounds for the traditionally strong local club teams): Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes (53,000) was built on an entirely new site while Stade de la Meinau in Strasbourg was rebuilt from the ground up on the site of the old stadium into a modern 40,000-seat arena.

Fixtures were scheduled according to an innovative rotation schedule in which each team played its three first-round matches in three different stadia. Host France, for instance, played in Paris, Nantes, and Saint-Étienne. This formula had the advantage of exposing residents of a given city to more teams but implied multiple and sometimes costly trips from town to town for fans who wanted to follow their side. In subsequent Euros, the organisers reverted to conventional schedules in which teams played in one or two cities only.

Paris	Marseille	Lyon	Saint-Étienne
Parc des Princes	Stade Vélodrome	Stade de Gerland	Stade Geoffroy-Guichard
Capacity: 48,000	Capacity: 55,000	Capacity: 40,000	Capacity: 53,000
Lens	Nantes	Strasbourg
Stade Félix-Bollaert	Stade de la Beaujoire	Stade de la Meinau
Capacity: 49,000	Capacity: 53,000	Capacity: 40,000

Overall impressions[link]

Very few hooligan-related incidents were recorded throughout the tournament. Only one minor instance of fan trouble was recorded, in Strasbourg around the West Germany vs. Portugal match. The small group of German hooligans responsible for the incidents was arrested and deported back to West Germany on the same day using a new law specially passed by the French Parliament ahead of the Euro. Overall, the organisation was flawless, a feat that established France's credentials as a host nation and eventually helped it win the right to stage the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

The entire competition was marked by exceptionally fine weather which, along with the high quality of play throughout the tournament (a welcome change from the 1980 European Championship) and the absence of hooligans, contributed to a very positive and enjoyable experience for teams and fans alike.

Match officials[link]

Squads[link]

Group A[link]

• France were the favourites of English bookmakers to win the tournament with odds of 5/8. Expectations at home were sky-high following the side's brilliant display and fourth-place finish at the 1982 World Cup. Les Bleus of 1984 seemed even stronger, having remedied many of the weaknesses that had dogged them at the World Cup. In Joël Bats, France had found at long last a first-class goalkeeper. The shaky dual-sweeper central defence of 1982 has made way for a rock-solid conventional setup around centre-back Yvon Le Roux and sweeper Patrick Battiston. The midfield, where gritty defensive upstart Luis Fernández had joined 1982 veterans Jean Tigana, Alain Giresse, and Michel Platini in the so-called carré magique ("magic square"), was arguably the best in the world. In offense, manager Michel Hidalgo had worked around the lack of a world-class striker by designing a flexible 4–4–2 system that enabled Platini, then at the zenith of his footballing abilities, to switch from playmaker to centre-forward at short notice. The only major unknown was how the team would fare under the pressure of competition, as it had been exempted from the qualifying round as the host nation.

• Belgium was a possible title contender with odds of 7/1. The surprise finalists of Euro 1980 and second-round participants at the 1982 World Cup had matured into a very solid side well used to the pressure and rigors of final-round football and built around a backbone of world-class players such as goalkeeper Jean-Marie Pfaff, midfielder Enzo Scifo, or strikers Erwin Vandenbergh and Jan Ceulemans. The team had proven its mettle in past Euro and World Cup qualifying campaigns and was a very tough opponent for anyone on any given day. One crucial caveat was the absence from the squad of defender Eric Gerets, one of Belgium's all-time greats, who was sidelined due to injury.

• Denmark celebrated its first appearance at a major tournament in decades yet were heavily tipped as a dark horse to win the Euro (with odds of 8/1) due to an impressive qualifying campaign in which they had edged out England, winning 1–0 at Wembley in the process. Manager Sepp Piontek's compact, athletic side relied on experienced professionals from some of the best European leagues of the time (Belgium, West Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy), had no obvious weakness, and could rely on the world-class individual talent of Frank Arnesen, Michael Laudrup, or Søren Lerby to make the difference.

• Yugoslavia came in as perennial underachievers with odds of 16/1. As usual, the Balkan side boasted a wealth of individual talent (Katanec, Sušić, Baždarević, Zl. Vujović, Hadžibegić, "Piksi" Stojković) that could make many a rival drool with envy. The major unknown was whether manager Todor Veselinović could meld his stars into a cohesive team, a problem that had caused the undoing of nearly every Yugoslavia team in past final rounds. Also, and most unusually for a Yugoslav side, goalkeeping appeared to be a weak spot.

Group B[link]

• West Germany were second favourites to win the tournament, with odds of 5/2, after reaching the final of the 1982 World Cup two years before. The squad boasted the usual array of world-class talent such as goalkeeper Harald Schumacher, arguably the world's best at the time, defenders Hans-Peter Briegel and Karl-Heinz Förster, defensive midfielder Lothar Matthäus, or strikers Pierre Littbarski, Rudi Völler, and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. However, offensive midfield had emerged as a significant weakness during a hard-fought qualifying campaign in the absence of playmakers such as Hansi Müller, Bernd Schuster (both mired in long-standing feuds with the German football federation), or Felix Magath (in poor form). Still, West Germany's strength remained impressive and the side's legendary ability to rise to the challenge of a major competition was a factor to be reckoned with.

• Spain, at 8/1, were only rated an outsider for the title in spite of a squad awash with talent. Goalkeeper Luis Arconada, defenders José Antonio Camacho and Antonio Maceda, midfielder Rafael Gordillo, or strikers Santillana and Francisco José Carrasco could hold their own against any direct counterpart bar none. Most players were veterans of the 1978 World Cup, Euro 1980, or 1982 World Cup campaigns and were used to final-round pressure. As usual, though, the main challenge of manager Miguel Muñoz was to build a team spirit among players hailing from a footballing culture that often placed regional rivalries (such as Real Madrid vs. FC Barcelona) above national unity.

• Portugal, at 14/1, were widely seen as a rising force that might be a little too green to go all the way in its first participation to the final round of a major tournament in two decades. Having eliminated 1982 World Cup third-place finisher Poland and a strong USSR side was a label of quality for a talented young "golden generation" around midfielder Fernando Chalana or strikers Diamantino and Rui Jordão. The side bore the traditional hallmarks of Portuguese football with first-class offensive power, an inspired midfield, and a gritty defense. Inexperience in a final round and occasional lapses in tactical discipline were the main concerns of manager Fernando Cabrita as the tournament opened.

• Romania, at 16/1, were a near-complete unknown whose triumph in qualifying over World Cup holders Italy and Euro 1980 third-place finishers Czechoslovakia inspired awe. Opportunities to observe the side and its star players, who all came from domestic teams, were few at a time when the country was still firmly behind the Iron Curtain. Only midfielder Ladislau Bölöni had made a name for himself with an inspired performance in the qualifier at home against Italy, while a young striker named Gheorghe Hagi was still on the eve of an illustrious career.

Tournament summary[link]

Group matches[link]

The opening game of tournament featured France and Denmark. The sides played out a very close encounter until Michel Platini’s goal on 78 minutes gave the hosts a 1–0 victory. The opening game also saw a premature end to the tournament for Danish midfielder Allan Simonsen who suffered a broken leg. After scoring the winner against the Danes, Platini scored a hat-trick against both Belgium and Yugoslavia as the French took maximum points from Group A. Denmark took second-place in the group with victories over Belgium and Yugoslavia while Belgium were held to just one victory. Yugoslavia, despite going out with no points, did give the hosts a fright in their last group game when they took a 1–0 advantage into the half and then reduced France's 3–1 lead to a goal (through a Stojkovic penalty) only six minutes from time. The games in Group A greatly placed the emphasis on offense as 23 goals were scored over the six matches.

Group B was less exciting in terms of goal-scoring but still managed to produce a huge surprise; West Germany failed to qualify for the semi-finals after a 1–0 defeat to Spain, Antonio Maceda's goal at the death sending the holders out. It was a major setback for the West Germans and their fans who were not used to exiting a major championship so early. Portugal managed to take the second qualifying place in the group behind the Spanish.

Semi-finals and the Final[link]

The first semi-final between France and Portugal is often considered one of the best matches in the history of the European Championship[1]. Jean-François Domergue opened the scoring for France but Portugal equalised through Rui Jordão on 74 minutes. The game went to extra time and Jordão scored again in the 98th minute to give the Portuguese a shock lead. But the French rallied and Domergue scored sixteen minutes after Portugal went ahead. Then, with the penalty shoot-out looming, Platini scored his 8th goal of the championship to give France a memorable 3–2 victory.

The other semi-final between Spain and Denmark saw two evenly-matched sides cancel each other out and the game ended 1–1; Soren Lerby’s goal after only 7 minutes was equaled by Maceda’s goal an hour later. There was no scoring in extra-time and the match went to a shoot-out where Spain converted all five of their penalties to win 5–4. Spain were through to final of the European Championship for the first time since 1964.

The final was played to a capacity audience at the Parc-des-Princes in Paris and the home fans would not be disappointed by their team. Just before the hour mark, Platini scored from a free-kick to put France in control. Spain fought hard to get back in to the match but were unable to find a way through. France were reduced to ten players when Yvon Le Roux was sent-off but the Spanish were unable to make their advantage count. The hosts held on to the lead and Bruno Bellone’s goal in 90th minute made the final score 2–0. France had won their first major championship in world football.

Results[link]

First round[link]

All Time are CEST/UTC+2

Group A[link]

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
France	3	3	0	0	9	2	+7	6
Denmark	3	2	0	1	8	3	+5	4
Belgium	3	1	0	2	4	8	−4	2
Yugoslavia	3	0	0	3	2	10	−8	0

12 June 1984 20:30	France	1 – 0	Denmark	Parc des Princes, Paris Attendance: 47,570 Referee: Volker Roth (West Germany)
	Platini  78'	(Report)

13 June 1984 20:30	Belgium	2 – 0	Yugoslavia	Stade Félix Bollaert, Lens Attendance: 41,774 Referee: Erik Fredriksson (Sweden)
	Vandenbergh  28' Grün  45'	(Report)

16 June 1984 17:15	France	5 – 0	Belgium	Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes Attendance: 51,359 Referee: Robert Valentine (Scotland)
	Platini  4'  74' (pen.)  89' Giresse  33' Fernández  43'	(Report)

16 June 1984 20:30	Denmark	5 – 0	Yugoslavia	Stade de Gerland, Lyon Attendance: 34,745 Referee: Augusto Lamo Castillo (Spain)
	Arnesen  8'  69' (pen.) Berggreen  16' Elkjær  82' Lauridsen  84'	(Report)

19 June 1984 20:30	France	3 – 2	Yugoslavia	Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Étienne Attendance: 45,789 Referee: André Daina (Switzerland)
	Platini  59'  62'  77'	(Report)	Šestić  32' D. Stojković  84' (pen.)

19 June 1984 20:30	Denmark	3 – 2	Belgium	La Meinau, Strasbourg Attendance: 36,911 Referee: Adolf Prokop (East Germany)
	Arnesen  41' (pen.) Brylle  60' Elkjær  84'	(Report)	Ceulemans  26' Vercauteren  39'

Group B[link]

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Spain	3	1	2	0	3	2	+1	4
Portugal	3	1	2	0	2	1	+1	4
West Germany	3	1	1	1	2	2	0	3
Romania	3	0	1	2	2	4	−2	1

14 June 1984 17:15	West Germany	0 – 0	Portugal	La Meinau, Strasbourg Attendance: 44,566 Referee: Romualdas Yushka (Soviet Union)
		(Report)

14 June 1984 20:30	Romania	1 – 1	Spain	Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Etienne Attendance: 17,102 Referee: Alexis Ponnet (Belgium)
	Bölöni  35'	(Report)	Carrasco  22' (pen.)

17 June 1984 17:15	West Germany	2 – 1	Romania	Stade Félix Bollaert, Lens Attendance: 31,803 Referee: Jan Keizer (Netherlands)
	Völler  25'  66'	(Report)	Coraş  46'

17 June 1984 20:30	Portugal	1 – 1	Spain	Stade Vélodrome, Marseille Attendance: 24,364 Referee: Michel Vautrot (France)
	Sousa  52'	(Report)	Santillana  73'

20 June 1984 20:30	West Germany	0 – 1	Spain	Parc des Princes, Paris Attendance: 47,691 Referee: Vojtěch Christov (Czechoslovakia)
		(Report)	Maceda  90'

20 June 1984 20:30	Portugal	1 – 0	Romania	Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes Attendance: 24,266 Referee: Heinz Fahnler (Austria)
	Nené  81'	(Report)

Knockout stage[link]

	Semi-finals				Final
	23 June – Marseille (Stade Vélodrome)
	France (aet)	3
	Portugal	2
					27 June – Paris (Parc des Princes)
					France	2
					Spain	0
	24 June – Lyon (Stade Gerland)
	Spain (p)	1 (5)
	Denmark	1 (4)

Semi-finals[link]

23 June 1984 20:00	France	3 – 2 (a.e.t.)	Portugal	Stade Vélodrome, Marseille Attendance: 54,848 Referee: Paolo Bergamo (Italy)
	Domergue  24'  114' Platini  119'	(Report)	Jordão  74'  98'

24 June 1984 20:00	Spain	1 – 1 (a.e.t.)	Denmark	Stade de Gerland, Lyon Attendance: 47,483 Referee: George Courtney (England)
	Maceda  67'	(Report)	Lerby  7'
		Penalties
	Santillana Señor Urquiaga Víctor Muñoz Sarabia	5 – 4	Brylle Olsen Laudrup Lerby Elkjær

Final[link]

27 June 1984 20:00	France	2 – 0	Spain	Parc des Princes, Paris Attendance: 47,368 Referee: Vojtěch Christov (Czechoslovakia)
	Platini  57' Bellone  90'	(Report)

Statistics[link]

• Fastest goal: 3 minutes – Michel Platini (France vs Belgium)

Goalscorers[link]

41 goals were scored in 15 games for an average of 2.73 goals per game.

References[link]

v t e International association football FIFA · World Cup · Confederations Cup · U-20 World Cup · U-17 World Cup · Olympics · Minor tournaments · World Rankings · Player of the Year · FIFA Ballon d'Or · Teams · Debuts · Competitions · Federations · Codes Asia AFC – Asian Cup Africa CAF – Africa Cup of Nations North America, Central America and the Caribbean CONCACAF – Gold Cup South America CONMEBOL – Copa América Oceania OFC – Nations Cup Europe UEFA – European Championship Non-FIFA NF-Board – Viva World Cup IGA Island Games Games All-Africa Games Asian Games CARIFTA Games East Asian Games Francophonie Games IOIG Lusophony Games Mediterranean Games Pan American Games Pan Arab Games Pacific Games South Asian Games Southeast Asian Games See also International women's football.

UEFA Europa League

160px
Founded	1971 (2009 in its current format)
Region	UEFA (Europe)
Number of teams	48 (group stage) +8 clubs join after Champions League group stage[1] 160 (total)
Current champions	Atlético Madrid (2nd title)
Most successful club	Juventus Internazionale Liverpool (3 titles)
Television broadcasters	List of broadcasters
Website	Official website
2011–12 UEFA Europa League

The UEFA Europa League /juːˈeɪfə jʊˈroʊpə ˈliːɡ/, previously called the UEFA Cup /juːˈeɪfə ˈkʌp/, is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League. Clubs qualify for the competition based on their performance in their national leagues and cup competitions.

Previously called the UEFA Cup, the competition has been known as the UEFA Europa League since the 2009–10 season,^[2][3] following a change in format. For UEFA footballing records purposes, the UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League are considered the same competition, with the change of name being simply a rebranding.^[4]

In 1999, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was abolished and merged with the UEFA Cup.^[5] For the 2004–05 competition a group stage was added prior to the knock out stage. The 2009 rebranding included a merge with the UEFA Intertoto Cup, producing an enlarged competition format, with an expanded group stage and changed qualifying criteria. The winner of the UEFA Europa League qualifies for the UEFA Super Cup.

The title has been won by 26 different clubs, 12 of which have won the title more than once. The most successful clubs in the competition are Juventus, Internazionale and Liverpool with three titles apiece.^[6]

History[link]

The UEFA Cup was preceded by the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, which was a European football competition played between 1955 and 1971. The competition grew from 11 teams during the first cup (1955–58) to 64 teams by the last cup which was played in 1970–71. It had become so important on the European football scene that in the end it was taken over by UEFA and relaunched the following season as the UEFA Cup.

The UEFA Cup was first played in the 1971–72 season, with an all-English final of Wolverhampton Wanderers versus Tottenham Hotspur, with Spurs taking the first honours.

The competition was traditionally open to the runners-up of domestic leagues, but the competition was merged with UEFA's previous second-tier European competition, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, in 1999. Since then, the winners of domestic cup competitions have also entered the UEFA Cup. Also, clubs eliminated in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League and the third placed teams at the end of the group phase could go on to compete in the UEFA Cup. Also admitted to the competition are three Fair Play representatives and winners of some selected domestic League Cup competitions.

The winners keep the trophy for a year before returning it to UEFA. After its return, the club can keep a four-fifths scale replica of the original trophy.

Four teams have won the UEFA Cup as well as their domestic league and cup competitions in the same season, those being IFK Göteborg in 1982, Galatasaray in 2000, FC Porto in 2003 and 2011, and CSKA Moscow in 2005. This accomplishment is known as a treble that only Galatasaray completed with the European Super Cup. Additionally, Tottenham Hotspur, Borussia Mönchengladbach, IFK Göteborg (twice), AFC Ajax, Galatasaray, and Feyenoord are the only teams to have won the cup without suffering a single loss in their campaign. RCD Espanyol is the single runner-up without a defeat. IFK Göteborg played 25 consecutive matches in the UEFA Cup between 1980 and 1987 without a single loss, including their 1981–82 and 1986–87 winning campaigns.

From the 2009–10 season, the competition is known as the UEFA Europa League.^[2][3] At the same time, the UEFA Intertoto Cup, UEFA's third-tier competition, was discontinued and merged into the new Europa League.

Trophy[link]

The Europa League trophy

The UEFA Cup, also known as the Coupe UEFA, is the trophy awarded annually by UEFA to the football club that wins the UEFA Europa League. Before the 2009–10 season, both the competition and the trophy were known as 'the UEFA Cup'.

Before the competition was renamed the UEFA Europa League in the 2009–10 season, the UEFA regulations stated that a club could keep the original trophy upon their third consecutive win or fifth win overall.^[8] However under the new regulations the trophy remains in UEFA's keeping at all times. A full-size replica trophy is awarded to each winner of the competition. Also a club that wins three consecutive times or five times overall will receive a 'special mark of recognition'.^[9]

The trophy was designed and crafted by Bertoni for the 1972 UEFA Cup Final. It weighs 15 kg and is silver on a yellow marble plinth.^[10]

Anthem[link]

The Paris Opera under the direction of composer Yohann Zveig recorded the anthem of the UEFA Europa League in March–May 2009. This theme for the re-branded UEFA Cup competition was first officially unveiled at the Grimaldi Forum on 28 August 2009 before the 2009–10 season group stage draw.

The anthem is to be played before every Europa League game at a stadium hosting such an event and also before every television broadcast of a Europa League game as a musical element of the competition's opening sequence.

Zveig himself hopes that his anthem will achieve a similar success as the UEFA Champions League Anthem in terms of global recognition.^[11][12]

Format[link]

Qualification[link]

Qualification for the competition is based on UEFA coefficients, with better entrance rounds being offered to the more successful nations. Actually, each association has a standard number of three berths, excluding

• Nations ranked 7 to 9, which have four berths
• Nations ranked 52 and 53 (Malta and San Marino in the 2011–12 season), which have two berths
• Liechtenstein, which qualifies only the Cup Winners

Usually, places are awarded to teams who finish in various runners-up places in the top-flight leagues of Europe and the winners of the main cup competitions. A few countries have secondary cup competitions but the only countries which currently grant a UEFA Europa League place to their secondary cup winners are England and France.

If the previous UEFA Europa League title-holders are not eligible to take part in either of the current UEFA club competitions (UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League) by virtue of their domestic form, the UEFA Administration may, at the request of the association of the club concerned, admit this club to the current UEFA Europa League competition. Its participation will not be at the expense of the contingent of its association.

Qualification can be quite complicated if one team qualifies for European competition through two different routes. In all cases, if a club is eligible to enter the UEFA Champions League then the Champions League place takes precedence and the club does not enter the UEFA Europa League. The UEFA Europa League place is then granted to another club. If a team qualifies for European competition through both winning a cup and league placing, the "spare" UEFA Europa League place will go to either the cup runners-up or the highest placed league team which has not already qualified for European competition, depending on the rules of the national association.

Three more berths are given to federations that finish above a certain level in UEFA's Fair Play table. The top three federations automatically receive a Fair Play entry if their rating is at least 8.0. The berth goes to the highest-placed team in the Fair Play table of that country's top league that has not already qualified for Europe.

More recently, clubs that are knocked out of the qualifying round and the group stage of the Champions League can also join the UEFA Europa League, at different stages (see below).

Background[link]

UEFA coefficients were introduced in 1980 and, until 1999, they gave a greater number of berths in UEFA Cup to the more successful nations. Three nations had four places, five nations had three places, thirteen nations had two places, and eleven nations only one place. Since 1999, a similar system is used for UEFA Champions League. Before 1980, the entrance criteria of last Fairs Cup were used.

Historical formats[link]

The competition was traditionally a pure knockout tournament. All ties were two-legged, including the final. Starting with the 1997–98 season, the final became a one-off match, but all other ties remained two-legged.

Before the 2004–05 season, the tournament consisted of one qualifying round, followed by a series of knockout rounds. The 16 losers in the third qualifying round of the Champions League entered at the first round proper; later in the tournament, the survivors would be joined by third-place finishers in the group phase of the Champions League.

From the 2004–05 season competition started with two knockout qualifying rounds held in July and August. Participants from associations ranked 18 and lower entered the first qualifying round with those from associations ranked 9–18 joining them in the second qualifying round. In addition, three places in the first qualifying round were reserved for the UEFA Fair Play ranking winners, and eleven places in the second qualifying round for the UEFA Intertoto Cup winners.

Winners of the qualifying rounds then joined teams from the associations ranked 1–13 in the first round proper. In addition, losers in the third qualifying round of the Champions League also joined the competition at this point along with the current title-holders (unless they had qualified for the UEFA Champions League via their national league), for a total of 80 teams in the first round.

After the first knockout round, the 40 survivors entered a group phase, with the clubs being drawn into eight groups of five each. Unlike the Champions League group phase, the UEFA Cup group phase was played in a single round-robin format, with each club playing two home and two away games. The top three teams in each of the eight groups qualified for the main knockout round along with the eight third-placed teams in the Champions League group phase. From then on a series of two-legged knockout ties were played before a single-legged final, traditionally held on the Wednesday in May immediately preceding the Champions League final.

Current format[link]

From the 2009–10 season, the competition has been rebranded as the UEFA Europa League in a bid to increase the competition's profile.^[2] As well as changing the competition's name, an extra 16 teams now qualify for the main stages of the competition, with the group stage now consisting of 12 groups of four teams (in a double round robin), with the top two placed teams in each group progressing. The competition then progresses in much the same way as the previous format, with 4 rounds of two-legged knockout rounds and a one-off final held at a neutral ground meeting UEFA's Category Four stadium criteria.The final is still played on a Wednesday, but now 10 days prior to the CL final which has been moved from the Wednesday after the EL final to a Saturday, normally 10 days after the EL final.

Qualification has also changed significantly. Associations ranked 7–9 in the UEFA coefficients will send the Cup winner and three other teams to the UEFA Europa League qualification, all other nations send a Cup winner and two other teams, except Liechtenstein, Andorra and San Marino, who will only send a Cup winner. Usually, the other teams will be the next highest ranked clubs in each domestic league after those qualifying for the UEFA Champions League, however France and England will continue to use one spot for their League Cup winner. Additionally, three places in the first of four qualifying rounds are still reserved for Fair Play winners. For the inaugural 2009–10 season these places went to Rosenborg of Norway, Randers of Denmark and Motherwell of Scotland. With the scrapping of the Intertoto Cup there will no longer be spaces reserved in the qualifying rounds for teams qualifying through that route. Generally, the higher an association is ranked in the UEFA coefficients, the later its clubs start in the qualification, however every team except the title holder has to play at least one qualification round.

Apart from the teams mentioned, an additional 15 losing teams from the Champions League qualification round three will enter in the fourth and last UEFA Europa League qualification round, formerly known as the first round, and the 10 losers of the Champions League qualification round 4 will directly enter the UEFA Europa League group stage. The 12 winners and the 12 runners-up in the group stage will advance to the first knock out round, together with eight 3rd placed teams from the Champions League group stage. The losing finalist for the domestic cup competition will still be entitled to be entered for the UEFA Europa League should the domestic cup winners qualify for the UEFA Champions League.^[13]

Distribution[link]

Referees[link]

The Europa League have implemented the extra officials rule since September 2009. Under the rule, there will be a total of six officials: the main referee, two assistant referees, fourth official of the sideline, and two extra assistants (one alongside each goal).

Prize money[link]

Similarly to the UEFA Champions League, the prize money received by the clubs is divided into fixed payments based on participation and results, and variable amounts that depend of the value of their TV market.^[15]

A group stage participation in the Europa League nets €640,000, with a €60,000 bonus per group match played. A victory in the group pays €140,000 and a draw €70,000. Reaching the knock-out matches triggers additional bonuses: €200,000 for the round of 32, €300,000 for the round of 16, €400,000 for the quarterfinals and €700,000 for the semifinals. The losing finalists receive €2 million and the champions get €3 million.^[16] In comparison, any team that reaches the UEFA Champions League group stage will be paid €3.9 million.^[17]

According to UEFA the fixed payments for the 2010/2011 UEFA Europa League season were as follows:^[18]

• 1st qualifying round: €90,000
• 2nd qualifying round: €90,000
• 3rd qualifying round: €90,000
• Playoffs: €90,000
• Group stage: €640,000
• For each match in group stage: €60,000
• Group match victory: €140,000
• Group match draw: €70,000
• Round of 32: €200,000
• Round of 16: €300,000
• Quarter-finals: €400,000
• Semi-finals: €700,000
• Losing Finalist: €2,000,000
• Winning the Final: €3,000,000

Sponsorship[link]

The UEFA Europa League is sponsored by a single multinational company; the current tournament sponsor is SEAT.

Adidas is a secondary sponsor and supplies the official match ball, as it does for all other UEFA competitions. Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer is also a secondary sponsor as the official Europa League video game.

Individual clubs may wear jerseys with advertising, even if such sponsors conflict with those of the Europa League. However, only one sponsorship is permitted per jersey (plus that of the manufacturer), and if clubs play a match in a country where the relevant sponsorship category is restricted (such as the case of France, alcohol and betting), then they must remove that logo from their jerseys.

Media coverage[link]

The competition attracts an extensive television audience, not just in Europe, but throughout the world.

Records and statistics[link]

The UEFA Cup finals were played over two legs until 1997. The first final was played on 3 May 1972 in Wolverhampton and 17 May 1972 in London. The first leg between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur was won 2–1 by the away side. The second leg finished as a 1–1 draw, meaning that Tottenham Hotspur became the first UEFA Cup winners.

The one-match finals in pre-selected venues were introduced in 1998. A venue must meet or exceed UEFA Category three standards to host UEFA Cup finals. On two occasions, the final was played at a finalist's home ground: Feyenoord defeated Borussia Dortmund at De Kuip, Rotterdam in 2002, and Sporting CP lost to CSKA Moscow at their own José Alvalade Stadium, Lisbon in 2005.

The winner of the last UEFA Cup final (prior to the competition being rebranded the UEFA Europa League) was Shakhtar Donetsk on 20 May 2009. The Ukrainian team beat Werder Bremen of Germany 2–1 at Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey.

The first ever winner of the rebranded Europa League was Atlético Madrid, beating Premier League side Fulham 2–1 after extra time.

Winners[link]

Club	Winners	Runners-up	Years won	Years runners-up
Juventus	3	1	1977, 1990, 1993	1995
Internazionale	3	1	1991, 1994, 1998	1997
Liverpool	3	0	1973, 1976, 2001
Borussia Mönchengladbach	2	2	1975, 1979	1973, 1980
Tottenham Hotspur	2	1	1972, 1984	1974
Feyenoord	2	0	1974, 2002
IFK Göteborg	2	0	1982, 1987
Real Madrid	2	0	1985, 1986
Parma	2	0	1995, 1999
Porto	2	0	2003, 2011
Sevilla	2	0	2006, 2007
Atlético Madrid	2	0	2010, 2012
Anderlecht	1	1	1983	1984
PSV Eindhoven	1	0	1978
Eintracht Frankfurt	1	0	1980
Ipswich Town	1	0	1981
Bayer Leverkusen	1	0	1988
Napoli	1	0	1989
Ajax	1	0	1992
Bayern Munich	1	0	1996
Schalke 04	1	0	1997
Galatasaray	1	0	2000
Valencia	1	0	2004
CSKA Moscow	1	0	2005
Zenit St. Petersburg	1	0	2008
Shakhtar Donetsk	1	0	2009

See also[link]

• List of UEFA Cup and Europa League winning managers
• UEFA Champions League

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: UEFA Cup or UEFA Europa League

• Official website

v t e International club football FIFA · Club World Cup (stats) · Intercontinental Cup (stats · defunct) · Confederation and inter-confederation competition winners · Teams Asia AFC – Champions League AFC Cup President's Cup Top-division clubs Africa CAF – Champions League Confederation Cup Super Cup Top-division clubs North America, Central America and the Caribbean CONCACAF – Champions League Top-division clubs South America CONMEBOL – Copa Libertadores Copa Sudamericana Recopa Sudamericana Top-division clubs Oceania OFC – Champions League Top-division clubs Europe UEFA – Champions League Europa League Super Cup Top-division clubs See also International club women's football.

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