Robben made his professional football debut on December 3, 2000 at the age of 16 at RKC Waalwijk. He came in in the final phase. “With the tribute on Sunday 7 November against RKC Waalwijk, things come together 21 years later,” FC Groningen said. “On that day, one of the Netherlands’ greatest footballers of all time and the best player ever produced from the club’s training says goodbye to his supporters, his FC Groningen.”
The club management hopes for a full stadium. Robben played his 59th and final game for the Northerners in the play-offs on May 19 of this year. Due to persistent physical problems, the 96-time international only played sporadically in his second period at FC Groningen. His high-profile return to the Eredivisie, after a year of rest, was limited to one season.
“I am no longer a player of the club, now I am a supporter again,” Robben said in mid-July. “I don’t have any concrete plans for the future. We will see. We came back to Groningen as a family and this is also our club. That connection will always be there. But it is good to take some distance for now.”
