After signing a few autographs for the fans in attendance, Arjen Robben got to work with his teammates. One day after Bayern reached the DFB Cup final, coach Niko Kovac had prepared an open training session for his players – and the Dutchman was finally involved again after a long spell on the sidelines.
Following the joint warm-up, Robben demonstrated his best qualities – pace, liveliness and vision – as he took part in passing drills with the other players who didn't start in the 3-2 win at Werder Bremen. After a good three-quarters of an hour, the 35-year-old headed into the performance centre to continue his individual work. "It's a first step," assessed the wing wizard following his runout on the grass, adding: "I've worked hard for a long time."
Still hopes of a Robben comeback
The long slog towards a comeback is not over yet, though. "I'll be happy if I can stay with the team for another one or two weeks and get a few minutes under my belt in games as well. That would be wonderful," said the determined seven-time Bundesliga winner. "So many people have said to me that they want to see me on the pitch one more time. Obviously that's also what I want more than anything."
Since his last competitive appearance for the record champions in the 5-1 win over Benfica in late November, the 35-year-old has been continually plagued by problems with his calf. Having returned to full training initially at the start of March, the winger suffered a fresh setback in the healing process. But there's now hope that he could make one final appearance as the season draws to a close.
Robben still has ambitions in his final few weeks at Bayern. "I'd like to be fit and healthy when I say goodbye – preferably with another two titles. We still have some work to do and perhaps I can play a part in that."