Arjen Robben goes into Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine determined to come away with a major honour. Ahead of the Netherlands’ opening match against Denmark on Saturday, the Bayern winger is bursting with determination: “When you go to a tournament, your target is to win the trophy. You have to have this belief in yourself," the player told news agency dpa.
“I've won a few domestic trophies, but nothing on the international stage," continued the 28-year-old, one of the tragic heroes of Bayern's Champions League final defeat to Chelsea. fcbayern.de reports extracts from Robben's latest interview.
Interview: Arjen Robben
The Netherlands team is almost identical to what we saw at the World Cup two years ago. Is that an advantage?
Arjen Robben: I think it certainly is, because we've been together as a team for two years now. We know each other well and the World Cup in South Africa was a fantastic experience. We go into the Euro with a good feeling.
However, you've attracted some criticism in the build-up. Are you surprised by that?
I think you have to expect it. We had a superb run and didn't lose for a long time, and qualified for the Euro without any problem. But we've recently had a couple of less good matches, against Germany for example, or against Bulgaria very recently, so criticism is understandable. We know we have to play better at the tournament compared to the build-up, where we've lacked stability and organisation.
You mention organisation, so do you share the general view that defence is the Dutch team's weak spot?
When I say organisation and stability, I'm talking about the whole team, not just the defence. All 11 players on the park must be well organised and disciplined. If we repeat what we did at the World Cup two years ago, we have enough quality up front to tip games in our favour.
Is this the final chance for the current generation to win a major tournament?
It could be. We have a large group of players who are now 28 or 29. It does mean we'll still be in with a chance two years from now at the World Cup in Brazil, although obviously we'll all be a bit older. And there's no way we can be thinking we have two, three or four more tournaments ahead of us. We want to win the title in Poland and Ukraine.
One major topic so far has been whether Robin van Persie or Klaas-Jan Huntelaar should play centre forward. What's your view as a winger?
We have two world-class strikers, the top scorer in Germany and the top scorer in England. We should be delighted we have both. At the end of the day, the coach decides. It makes no difference to me who plays.
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