Last night Bayern Munich played the Dutch national team in a friendly in Munich. Ironically, the game was set-up as compensation for Arjen Robben getting injured while playing for Holland.
I say ironically as the Bayern fans vented their frustration at Robben’s penalty miss in the Champions League final against Chelsea on Saturday by repeatedly booing him.
Holland coach Bert van Marwijk has described the booing of Robben by a section of Bayern Munich fans as “scandalous” saying:
“It’s scandalous the way in which Arjen was treated on Tuesday in Munich. Arjen was really down about it but I hope that he will emerge stronger from the experience.”
Robben’s Dutch team-mates, including former Bayern star Mark van Bommel, agreed that the winger was unfairly treated.
“It’s shocking what happened to Arjen. And no club officials seemed to want to do anything about it. If I were him, I be asking myself whether I still want to play for the club,” said Van Bommel.
Robben has an uneasy relationship with Bayern fans at the best of times as many accuse him of being too selfish on the pitch.
Robben missed a penalty in a big league game against Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund in April which did little to appease Bayern fans. Saturday’s miss, and his refusal to take a penalty kick in the shootout, just compounded things in the eyes of Bayern fans.
It will be interested to see how this story plays out over the summer as Robben recently extended his Bayern contract by two years to 2015. Will Robben look to win over the Bayern fans next season, or will he take the booing as a sign that he he needs to move somewhere else this summer?