Interview with Arjen Robben and Franck Ribéry: 'Dominance is part of Bayern'

Arjen Robben played 309 competitive matches for Bayern and scored 144 goals. Following the end of his career in 2021, the Dutchman has increasingly withdrawn from the public eye. Robben is currently training youth teams at his home club Groningen. “As a family, we're trying to catch up on some of the time we didn't have when I was a professional,” said the 41-year-old. That's why he no longer runs marathons for hours on end, preferring instead to play padel tennis to stay fit. Franck Ribéry played 425 times for Bayern, scoring 124 goals. Today, he is assistant coach at Salernitana in Italy, the club where the 41-year-old ended his playing career two years ago. The Frenchman, who lives in Munich, is working on his UEFA Pro Licence. “That's my big goal,” he explained.  

Robben and Ribéry came together again for the first time in a long time for the Beckenbauer Cup. A conversation with one of the best wing duos ever in football about Bayern, Franz Beckenbauer and wonderful and painful memories.

Interview with Arjen Robben and Franck Ribéry

Arjen, until Franck joins us, why don't we talk about Bayern? How good has the team been in 2025? 
Arjen Robben: “I think they’ve been good. The Champions League quarter-finals will now be very interesting against an Italian team that is super organised, especially defensively. It's always difficult to break down Inter. But things are also looking good in the Bundesliga, with a six-point lead over Leverkusen. Of course, it's easy to say that from the outside, but I don't see any other champions than Bayern.”

Will Bayern manage to crack Inter? 
Robben: “We'll see. It’ll be tight, it’ll be close. Bayern may have a slight advantage, but their opponents' defence is very, very strong. They're a very dangerous opponent, also on the counter-attack.”

Dominance will be important. Were you surprised at how good Bayern have been in that regard this year after a difficult year? 
Robben: “For me, it's above all a big credit to the new coaching team. They're well prepared, there's enough quality in the team, everything works well, there's a lot of energy. And I think there's also a positive sense of community within the team. Vincent Kompany and his colleagues are doing a really good job.”

You played against Kompany the world-class defender yourself. 
Robben: “Yes, I remember. I don't know Vincent personally, but even as a player I was impressed by his great ambition, which now also characterises him as a coach. I think he's a really hard worker who wants to get everything out of himself and his team.”

Under Kompany, Bayern play with high pressing, a lot of possession football. 
Robben: “Dominance is part of Bayern. You have to impose your will on every opponent, that's only natural. That can happen in very different ways. I'm now thinking more and more like a coach and I think pressing gives you dominance and energy.”

How would Arjen Robben and Franck Ribéry have fitted into this Kompany system?  
Robben: “If you're a good footballer, you can work in any system. You might have to adapt more or less depending on what makes the coach tick. But ultimately it's about quality. Every player brings different qualities to the table, as was the case with me. A Javi Martínez or a Bastian Schweinsteiger were completely different types of players. A good example of this is the time when Pep Guardiola came to Bayern. There was a lot of discussion about tiki-taka and ball positioning. At some point it was said that maybe Robben doesn't fit in like that because he takes too many one-on-one situations. But then everything worked out really well because you adapt as a player.”

Ribéry joins the interview. They both laugh heartily when they see each other and hug each other. The Frenchman shouts across the room with a smile: “Don't forget Robbéry!” Ribéry then picks up the editor's recording device and wants to pocket it: “Oh, is this a present for me?”

Franck, how happy are you to see Arjen again at the Beckenbauer Cup? 
Franck Ribéry: “I'm always happy when we see each other. We usually only talk to each other on the phone. I've always said that what we experienced together on the pitch and in the dressing room for 10 years can hardly be described. It always comes back to me and then I think to myself that was really wonderful, and I won't forget it for the rest of my life.”

Why do you only see each other rarely? 
Robben: “Well, it's the same with all former players. Everyone has their own schedule now. There's a lot going on at home with the families. I live in Holland again, Franck is here or in Italy. Rafinha, for example, lives in Brazil. It's not that easy. That's why it's always something very special. Whether it's six months, one, two or five years - it doesn't matter.”

Ribéry: “When you meet each other again, it's very, very nice.”

Someone who you unfortunately can no longer see, but perhaps still have memories of him, is Franz Beckenbauer. 
Ribéry: “Of course, he was a very great figure, with great elegance as a footballer. He was very, very important for Bayern as a person and as a player. Arjen and I were perhaps still small children when he played. What we saw was his elegance on the ball. What we then sensed in Munich was the special personality he also had.”

Robben: “Franck has already said it all. He belongs to Bayern, the Kaiser, and that will always be the case. If anyone deserves to have a tournament named after him, it's Mr Beckenbauer. It's a great honour for us to be part of it and to play for him and his foundation.”

They beat Real Madrid in the final of the Beckenbauer Cup in Munich. The fans are hoping for something similar in the Champions League final, which will take place at the Allianz Arena on 31 May.  
Ribéry: “I think Bayern have two big chances this season - to win the Bundesliga and the Champions League. Above all, I hope they reach the Finale dahoam.”

You two you experienced it, the 2012 Finale Dahoam… 
Ribéry: “I purposely didn't mention that just now. Because it still hurts so much that we lost that...”

Robben looks sad, then shakes his head. The memory hurts - so much so that he is grateful not to have to say anything about it. Robben says goodbye briefly, he has to move on for a photo session with the legends for the Beckenbauer Cup. Ribéry has already had his photo taken. “I'll be right behind you,” he says and gives Robben a quick hug.

Franck, can you tell us anyway? How much is a final like this in Munich already in the players' minds, does that play a role as a player?  
Ribéry: “It's good motivation on the one hand, but also a lot of pressure on the other. It was a wonderful thing in the run-up to 2012. We're playing at home, we know the atmosphere, the stadium, the city, the fans. But then, when you lose that, it hurts more than anything else. 2012 was a shock for us, for the whole club, the city, the fans. A year later, we won the title. That's football.”

Michael Olise is a talented winger who reminds experts of you with his pace, style, dribbling skills and goal threat... 
Ribéry: “I'm very happy with his performance so far. What makes it special for me, of course, is that he's also French. I'm always happy when French players play for Bayern. Olise is a good kid. He thrives on being young, carefree and having fun. He has to keep all of that, even if he stays at Bayern for longer, and not let himself be overwhelmed by the pressure that always prevails at Bayern.”

Another player who reminds us of you with his tricky dribbling - albeit in a different position and who doesn't come from France - is Jamal Musiala... 
Ribéry: “Jamal is a player in his own right, as is Michael. Even if they don't play the way I do, they're unique and hugely important for Bayern. The trick is to see football as a game, to enjoy it. When you're young, people's expectations are naturally high, they keep rising. But we footballers are not machines. I was able to get to know Jamal in training when I was watching. I told him he had to keep playing like that and he had to stay at Bayern. It's a bit like with a little brother.”

Manuel Neuer and Thomas Müller could be older brothers to you. Both are still playing. 
Ribéry: “They’re two absolute legends. You’ll never forget what they’ve achieved. For me, Manuel is the best goalkeeper there’s ever been in the world. And Thomas is a great player who has won so much. I hope he, too, can hang on for at least another year.”

Read about how the Beckenbauer Cup went here:

To mark the club’s 125th anniversary, fans chose the 2013 Champions League final as their favourite Bayern game: