Bayern Munich star Arjen Robben has hailed the tactics of Jose Mourinho when the two worked together at Chelsea between 2004-2007.
Robben joined Chelsea from PSV Eindhoven in 2004 as a highly-rated Dutch prospect. He showed flashes of brilliance but was never able to find a good level of consistency.
During his time with the Blues, the Dutchman went on to make 105 appearances in all competitions, scoring 19 goals. Even though his time at Stamford Bridge was not exactly viewed as successful, he won two Premier League titles, one FA Cup, two League Cups and one Community Shield.
The veteran remains positive regarding the style of play which was used by Mourinho during his time at Stamford Bridge.
He said as quoted by The Daily Sun: “I think we were very offensive. We played with two strikers, with two wingers.
“It was like a 4-4-2, a lot of offensive players as well on the pitch. But what I remember about that period is the team.
“It was a real team all together, the players the characters all fit together very, very well.
“We had a great manager as well in Mourinho, who made sure that the team spirit was working well and of course for the club it was the first time that we won the league in 50 years.
“For me it was a big, big step because I was still very young. I was 20. It was the first time I went abroad.
“You have to adapt quickly and especially if you are that young, you have to grow up very quick.”
Robben left Chelsea in 2007 and linked up with Spanish giants Real Madrid. He again failed to find a good level of consistency with Los Blancos but managed to win one La Liga title as well as one Supercopa de Espana during his time with them. After leaving Spain and joining German giants Bayern Munich in 2009, Robben started to play some of the best football of his career.
He is a cult-hero in the eyes of many Munich fans, having been at the club for a decade now. He has helped them to win several Bundesliga titles, four DFB Pokal’s, five DFL Super Cup’s, one Champions League and one UEFA Super Cup. His time at Munich also coincided with the time during which he helped the Netherlands reach the final of the World Cup (2010) and attain a third place finish (2014). Even though the 35-year-old will be leaving Munich at the end of the season, he will forever have a special place in the hearts of most of the club’s diehard supporters.
