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Robben teaches Germans to love long johns
Germans used to laugh at soccer players who wore long johns in the winter, belittling anyone who opted not to play in shorts as a light-weight. Germans even have a derogatory name for the thermal underwear: Liebestoeter (passion killers).
That was before Arjen Robben scored two goals and led Bayern Munich to three straight wins in his woolly grey long johns. They may make him look like a 19th century grampa getting ready to get into a cold bed. But they’re “hot pants” as far as Bayern are concerned.
And no one’s laughing anymore. In fact all of Germany is talking about the unstoppable Dutchman who has made a fashion statement in the baggy underwear.
“I know they don’t look very good — even my wife tells me that they don’t look very good,” Robben was quoted telling Bild newspaper the other day after scoring a goal and setting up another in Bayern’s 3-0 win over Mainz last Saturday. “But they feel really good when I’ve got them on. They keep my muscles warm. The long johns belong to the club. At home I never wear anything like that.”
As my colleague Brian Homewood wrote today, Robben has been in sparkling form since the mid-season break in his long johns and helped Bayern move into second place behind Bayer Leverkusen.
There has been so much talk about Robben’s hot run in his baggy underwear that the Bundesliga’s ruling body, the German Football League (DFL), has decided to enforce an obscure rule that mandates such undergarmets must conform to the colours of the team’s kit, or red in Bayern’s case.
“We didn’t just make up this rule,” said DFL vice president Holger Hieronymus. “But we’ve informed the referees to enforce the rule more strictly.” Hieronymus said that the long john issue was threatening to get out of hand.
Delighted Bayern get away with daylight ‘Robery’
Arjen Robben arrived in Munich and passed a medical exam on Friday, scored two goals after coming on in the second half with his new teammate Franck Ribery on Saturday, and then left his new home town on Monday to meet up with the Dutch international team in Enschede.
It was a remarkable weekend trip to the Bavarian capital. In just 27 minutes Robben and Ribery — Munich’s new dynamic duo quickly dubbed “Robery” by German headline writers — combined for two spectacular goals to lead Bayern to their first win of the season, 3-0 against defending champions VfL Wolfsburg.
“Robery” managed to dissipate the gloom surrounding the success-spoiled Bayern fans in just 27 minutes following the agony of their month-long “Fehlstart” — just two points from their first three matches in August and an incredible 16th place in the table before Robben arrived.
“I couldn’t have wished for a better start,” said Robben, who also rejuvenated Ribery after months of controversy over his apparent efforts to get a transfer to Real Madrid. “I’ve haven’t scored two goals in many matches before and never in my first match. But this is just the start. I came here to win matches and titles.”
Bild newspaper columnist Franz Josef Wagner usually writes about German politics. But he couldn’t resist devoting his page 2 column in Germany’s best-selling daily on Monday to Robben: “We’ve seen football the way Mozart or Rembrandt would have it played… What wonderful choreography with Ribery. Full-risk football, courageous football. Arjen Robben is worth every cent of the 24 million euros Bayern paid. Three cheers for Uli Hoeness. He’s invested the money in an artist and not a thug.”
PHOTO: Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery celebrate during Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga victory over VfL Wolfsburg, August 29, 2009. REUTERS/Michael Dalder
Why is he so injury prone? Some German newspapers are saying he has not a “glass chin” but “glass feet”.
Selling Robben is good business but is it good sense?
If reports in Spain are correct and Real Madrid have agreed to sell Arjen Robben to Bayern Munich for 25 million euros, that would seem to be an excellent piece of business for the Spanish club.
Real paid a king’s ransom to take Robben from Chelsea a couple of years ago — when £24 million pounds was a lot more in euros than it is now — and I think it’s fair to say that he didn’t quite make the impact the fans were hoping for.
Injuries have been a consistent problem, just as they were at Chelsea, and I’m sure Real will be delighted to recoup another chunk of the 250 million euros they’ve spent on players so far this close season.
With Wesley Sneijder also on his way, for perhaps 15 million euros, it’s been a lucrative week for Real, but there are plenty of doubers out there (see The Real Liga for a flavour).
As the linked article notes, having players like Robben and Wesley Sneijder to turn to as substitutes might make the difference between getting through that tight Champions League game and making another early exit.
Real have made huge improvements to their first team by signing footballing royalty like Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka … but, as in Florentino’s first spell as president, will they end up regretting the decision to cull the ‘middle classes’?
PHOTO: Arjen Robben reacts after missing a chance during Real Madrid’s Peace Cup match against Al Ittihad at the Bernabeu, July 26, 2009. REUTERS/Juan Medina
Madrid are foolish in selling not only Robben but also Sniejder. Both are great players and can be world-beaters on their day. Robben could have easily played on the left with Ronaldo on the right. Kaka,behind the strikers and Xabi Alonso and Sniejder could’ve been in the centre of a five-man midfield.
The fact that Van Der Vaart also wants to leave will leave Real short of options on the left-side of midfield. Selling him, would again be a big gamble.
Bayern should sell Ribery, get the money and Sniejder. Real, meanwhile seem to be going in the same way as the former galacticos went – down the drain!
