“I didn't quit Real Madrid just because of Cristiano Ronaldo,” says Arjen Robben

What's the story?

While expecting to finish off his decade with the German giants, Robben spoke about the reasons he decided to leave Real Madrid. Although it had seemed like it was Ronaldo's highly publicised arrival, Robben reveals it was much more than that.

In case you didn't know...

Robben moved to Real Madrid from Chelsea for €35 million in 2007 but spent only two seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu before deciding to move to Germany where he has spent the last decade.

A few months ago, Robben decided to leave Bayern Munich at the end of this season, even as he lifts yet another Bundesliga title and prepares to win the DFB-Pokal cup tomorrow.

The heart of the matter

Although Cristiano Ronaldo's arrival to the Santiago Bernabeu made it clear that Robben would have to fight to retain his left wing position, it was only an influencing factor in his decision to leave.

Robben revealed:

"It wasn't just Ronaldo. Florentino Pérez came back as club president and he bought Ronaldo as well as Kaká, Benzema and Xabi Alonso. They spent so much money that they told us they needed to make some back from sales.

"For me this was disappointing because I had a very good relationship with the former coach Manuel Pellegrini. Also, I had probably just had the best preseason of my career.

"I found it difficult due to the change of Real's president. I felt really comfortable there and had played very well. But when politics come into play, and you don't have a real opportunity, you must decide if you want to keep fighting or continue your career elsewhere.

"The decision [to leave] was not easy. We sat down as a family on the terrace and talked. Afterall, there was no going back after leaving a huge club like Real Madrid. In comparison, Bayern was not so successful in Europe at the time, and my goal had always been to win the Champions League.