This archive report was first published on 10 May 2021.
On Sunday, Dutch winger Arjen Robben made a full comeback to playing for his boyhood club FC Groningen, but it was not the joyous return he was expecting.
Robben, who had retired in 2019 after winning his eighth Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich at the age of 35, returned to football last summer to help the club recover from the coronavirus pandemic.
However, his comeback was marred by a groin injury in their first Eredivisie game of the season, which kept him out for three league games. He then spent more than six months on the sidelines with a calf injury, only recently returning to fitness.
Despite his recent lengthy lay-off, Robben showed that he still possesses the skills needed for top-flight football. Playing on the right wing, he provided the assists for both of Alessio Da Cruz's goals in a 4-0 thrashing of FC Emmen.
After his starring return to Danny Buijs' side, Robben could not hold back the tears in his post-match interviews, saying, "I have come a long way, this is what I wanted. I want to help this club and I want to play football. If I can and succeed, then I am very happy. It has been a long and hard road."
Robben first joined Groningen in 1996, before departing for PSV Eindhoven in 2002. Groningen are enjoying a successful season under Buijs this term and currently sit seventh in the Dutch top-flight.
