Return to soccer after one year of retirement didn’t end well for Netherlands’ legendary winger Arjen Robben. In his official comeback debut for Groningen, Robben suffered a groin injury and had to leave the match against PSV after just 30 minutes on the field.
It’s unclear when exactly Robben got injured, as he just sat on the field at one point and asked to be substituted. While walking to the sidelines, the 36-year-old player was visibly limping and it was evident that he had a muscle problem.
“I didn’t speak to him after the match. He was very disappointed and went home,” said Groningen’s head coach Danny Buijs after the match while confirming that Robben is dealing with a groin injury.
Asked whether this might mean that Robben’s comeback will end after just one game, Bujis couldn’t give a definitive answer.
“I don’t know. I can’t say anything about that,” he added. “I didn’t have a chat with him yet, but in general, you know it’s bad news when an injury kicks in this hard.”
Arjen Robben spent the first three years of his professional career with Groningen before embarking on an impressive career that saw him play with Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich. Following the 2018/19 season, which included winning his eighth Bundesliga title with Bayern, Robben decided to retire.
However, after just one year in retirement, Robben decided to stage a comeback and help Groningen during the challenging times of the coronavirus pandemic. Hopefully, the recent injury won’t stop him from accomplishing this.
