Ex-Chelsea star Arjen Robben admits he’s “heartbroken” after smashing his own goal in a new sport
Former Chelsea winger Arjen Robben completed the Rotterdam marathon in less than THREE HOURS on Sunday.
The 39-year-old, who retired from football in 2021, crossed the line in 2:58:33 coming home to meet his under-three-hour goal.
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Robben, who also played for Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, ran the same race in 2022 and secured a time of 3:13:40.
But it was his performance in 2023 that left him excited at the finish.
Immediately after crossing the line, he said, “I’m really broken, but I made it.
“For a sprinter like me, such a distance is very long. But I like sports and challenges.”
Then he added: “I’m not a top athlete anymore, but I can say that I find it top sport when you can run a marathon in under three hours.
“It comes very close to a big football title. Great, I can tick that off.”
Robben hung up his boots two years ago after a season with Groningen after enjoying a glittering career with some of Europe’s top clubs.
He won the Eredivisie title with PSV in 2003 before joining Chelsea and winning two Premier League titles, one FA Cup and two League Cups under Jose Mourinho.
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The Dutchman then signed for Real Madrid in 2007 where he spent two seasons and clinched a LaLiga title.
However, he spent most of his career in Germany, where he played for Bayern Munich for a decade.
Robben won eight Bundesliga titles, five DFB Cup wins and the Champions League.
He was also capped 96 times by the Netherlands, scoring 37 goals.
He was instrumental in helping Bert van Marwijk’s side reach the 2010 World Cup final before being beaten 1-0 by Spain.
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