Arjen Robben: Not A Fan Of The Europa League

By: The Offside | March 17th, 2011

arjen-robben-bayern-munich1-300x224 The Eruopa League is nice. It’s swell. It’s neat-o.

But it’s nothing spectacular. The games are nice, but it’s typically lacking the elite and thus is very much a second competition.

Arjen Robben doesn’t think it much of a competition at all, which is too bad, because that’s exactly where Bayern are headed next year should the table stay the status quo.

But it won’t, because Bayern Munich without a Champions League knockout distraction will somehow, someway make up three points on Hannover 96 in the coming eight fixtures. Bet the house on that.

Yet this impending truth doesn’t stop Arjen from throwing UEFA’s slightly less favored child firmly under the bus. Double finger snap.

“I cannot imagine that (playing in the Europa League),” the 27-year-old Dutch international, who has played 52 games in the Champions League with PSV Eindhoven, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Bayern, told Bild newspaper.

“That is the worst that can happen. I think it is better if you don’t play in it at all,” said Robben, who has a contract with the German champions until 2013.

“Even winning the Europa League would not mean anything for me,” he said. “That is not the title you want to win and it is not something I want.”

This is actually pretty awesome.

Though I’m fairly sure it’s not “the worst”; Europa League is much preferable to relegation. (Arjen would probably disagree.)

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Category: Bundesliga

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quaazi

Fairly sure he's just stressing the importance of the task ahead, but will that stop people from quoting other people for their own gain?
mattrich

i really don't like this guy. regardless of the europa league's status as a second-tier competition, it's still european competition, and you're still in the upper echelons of european football.

although one could make the argument that clubs that seem to be stuck in the europa league are stuck there because they have the same congested fixture lists as those in the champions league but generally don't have the same kind of cash flow and squad depth. so i guess if a club really seriously wanted to compete for a champions league spot they could throw the europa league.
Phil

Some of them practically do throw the Europa League, they field teams with less than half their normal starters and focus on the domestic-league games the following weekend (or whenever). But then, if they find they make it through to the last 8 or last 4 of the Europa league anyway, they go ahead and play their stars. 'Cause at that point, might as well go for it.

I agree about the congested fixtures. It's worst for English teams, because they have EPL + Carling Cup + FA Cup + European Competition (if any), and they don't really get a winter break.