Former Chelsea and Bayern Munich star Robben announces retirement

Former Bayern Munich and Chelsea star Arjen Robben on Thursday announced his retirement from professional football.

Aged 37, Robben had earlier decided to hang up his boots in 2019 after a final season at Bayern Munich, but he did a U-turn one year later by returning to Groningen, reported Goal.com.

"Dear football friends, I have decided to stop my active football career," Robben said in a tweet.

"A very difficult choice. I want to thank everyone for all the heartwarming support! Regards, Arjen," he added.

Robben had made his league debut for Groningen in the match against PSV back in September, but he had to be substituted after 28 minutes due to a serious calf injury.

Robben had added six more trophies to his collection during his stint with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, including two Premier League titles and the FA Cup.

Real Madrid then signed the star and he won a league and Supercopa de Espana doubles in his first year with the Blancos.

After Real Madrid, Robben joined Bayern Munich and his game went to another level at Munich as he scored 144 goals and he also managed to win 20 trophies during his stint with the club.

For the Netherlands, Robben scored 37 goals in 96 matches and he was also a part of the Dutch side that reached the finals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

( With inputs from ANI )