Arjen Robben’s wife secretly arranged his meeting with Groningen before return to football

Bayern Munich legend Arjen Robben sealed a sensational return to football over the weekend after signing a one-year deal with boyhood club FC Groningen. The former Dutch international called it quits after 10 seasons in Munich, lifting the Bundesliga eight times, while also winning the Champions League in 2013. However, the wily winger was convinced by his wife to seal an emotional return to boyhood club Groningen, who announced the news on Saturday. 

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Arjen Robben retirement U-turn: Arjen Robben wife convinces winger to sign for boyhood club Groningen

The return of Robben to Groningen largely happened due to the 36-year-old's wife, Bernadien. The Dutch club were reportedly looking to sign their former prodigy since the announcement of Arjen Robben retirement, but the move did not materialise. Mark-Jan Fledderus, Groningen's technical director in a news conference confirmed the role of Arjen Robben wife in the Dutchman's return to professional football. Fledderus revealed that the club sought a secret meeting with Arjen Robben's wife last month, and Bernadien convinced the 36-year-old to come out of retirement. 

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Arjen Robben retirement U-turn: Robben to Groningen inspired by Michael Jordan's The Last Dance documentary

While Arjen Robben's wife played a key role in convincing the footballer to return to his boyhood club, Michael Jordan's documentary The Last Dance also played a role in Robben's ‘dream’ transfer return to boyhood club Groningen. The Dutch club's fans pleaded the former Real Madrid star to return home, and Groningen, in turn, showed Robben clips from The Last Dance, featuring Michael Jordan's dramatic return from retirement. Jordan retired from basketball after leading the Chicago Bulls to an unprecedented three-peat, before sensationally making a comeback to lead them to a repeat three-peat. 

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Arjen Robben retirement U-turn: Former Dutch international cautiously optimistic about return

Speaking to the press after his photoshoot announcing his one-year deal, Robben was cautiously optimistic about his chances to make it big at Groningen. The former Dutch international made his debut for the club as a 16-year-old in 2000, before embarking on trophy-laden spells across Europe, playing for the likes of PSV, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. Robben admitted that the difference in the standard between Bayern and Groningen is naturally a lot and he's here to help the club, with the Eredivise season cancelled amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

The former Chelsea star added that he will give his very best for the club but asserted that he hasn't set himself any goals. Robben continued by saying that 'it could be over in a month or it could last two years.' Robben also spoke about how his wife convinced him to return to football and hailed her for the support, saying that it made his decision a lot easier. 

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(Image Credit: FC Groningen Twitter)