“You’re not 16 anymore”: Seals announce end of career

Arjen Robben has ended his career as an active player. After his contract with FC Bayern Munich had not been extended at the end of the season, the wing-runner is now officially hanging up his football boots.

“I’ve decided to put an end to my career as a professional footballer. It is without a doubt the most difficult decision I have had to make in my career,” Robben said on Thursday: “It was a decision where heart and mind could not be reconciled.”

“The love of sport and the conviction that one can still conquer the world stood against the reality that things don’t always go the way one wants and that one is no longer the 16-year-old who can’t imagine an injury,” explained Robben.

“Right now, I’m fit and healthy. And because I also like other sports, I want it to stay that way. My decision is final. It’s good as it is,” the Dutchman added.

It was “time for the next chapter,” he stressed. “I look forward to spending more time with my wife and children and enjoying all the beauty that lies ahead.”

Robben switched from Real Madrid to FC Bayern in 2009. He played 309 compulsory games for the Munich team and scored 144 goals. Robben won the German Championship eight times, the DFB Cup five times and the Champions League in 2013.