How MJ's 'The Last Dance' inspired Dutch legend Arjen Robben's comeback at Groningen

The Arjen Robben return made headlines over the weekend as the Dutch icon decided to come out of retirement. Having signed a one-year deal with his boyhood club Groningen on Saturday, the Eredivisie side reportedly showed Arjen Robben clips from Michael Jordan's 'The Last Dance' documentary along with images of his own career to lure him into signing a new deal. The Last Dance depicted NBA legend Michael Jordan and his final season with the Chicago Bulls with the documentary deemed as one of the main reasons behind the Arjen Robben return to football.

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Arjen Robben return inspired by The Last Dance

According to reports from Goal, The Last Dance played a huge part in the Arjen Robben return to professional football. Eredivisie side Groningen showed the 36-year-old winger The Last Dance documentary which reportedly tempted the Champions League winner to reconsider a return to football. Clips from The Last Dance eventually led to Robben signing a contract with Groningen, two decades after making his debut for the club. 

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Arjen Robben retirement: Why did Robben come out of retirement?

The Arjen Robben retirement was announced in July last year when the Dutch winger opted to call it quits after another stellar campaign with Bayern Munich. With the Arjen Robben retirement, the veteran attacker drew curtains on a career that saw him win one Eredivise title with PSV Eindhoven, two Premier League titles with Chelsea, one LaLiga title with Real Madrid and eight Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich. However, Arjen Robben's decision to come out of retirement puts him on course to add some more silverware to his illustrious career. 

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Having signed a one-year contract with Dutch side Groningen on Saturday, Robben revealed that his decision to come out of retirement was sparked by the 'sports lover' within himself. Robben spent a year in Germany following his retirement last year while trying to get used to the idea of not playing football. Robben also made 96 appearances for the Dutch national side, scoring 37 goals, and played a pivotal role in the Netherlands reaching the 2010 World Cup final. 

Arjen Robben Groningen return

The Arjen Robben Groningen career initially began in 2000 where Robben initially began his professional career. This year, Groningen were ninth on the Eredivisie table when the season was brought to a halt due to the coronavirus pandemic. There were no champions declared and no teams relegated. The 2020-21 Eredivisie season is expected to start in September this year.

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Image Credits - Arjen Robben Twitter, AP