Arjen Robben Talks Real Madrid Exit, 'Best Decision of My Career' to Join Bayern

Arjen Robben has revealed he left Real Madrid for Bayern Munich because of Florentino Perez's return to the Santiago Bernabeu but that moving to Bayern was the "best decision" of his career. 

Robben spent two seasons in Madrid before leaving in 2009, the same summer Perez became club president for the second time and signed Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United.

The Dutchman told Goal and SPOX's Dennis Melzer and Martin Volkmar:

"It became difficult for me because of the change of president at Real.

"I actually felt very comfortable there and played very well, but when politics come into play and you do not get a real chance, you have to make a decision whether you want to keep fighting or to go and continue your career elsewhere.

"It was not just Ronaldo. Perez returned as the club's president. He then bought Ronaldo, but also Kaka, [Karim] Benzema and Xabi Alonso.

"Real spent so much money, and we were told that they needed to make a bit of money back on outgoing transfers."

Faced with the prospect of leaving, Robben spoke to then-Bayern boss Louis van Gaal and captain Mark van Bommel, who told him to come to Bavaria.

Robben said "the decision was not easy" because of Real's size, but "there was no turning back then."

He continued: "My goal had always been to win the Champions League. I wanted to show that I was good enough. The move to Bayern was the best decision of my career."

The winger, who turned 35 in January, will leave the club after 10 seasons this summer on the back of his seventh consecutive Bundesliga title win and eighth overall.

He and the 36-year-old Franck Ribery, who will also leave, have been forces to be reckoned with in the German top flight:

The pair both scored as Bayern thrashed Eintracht Frankfurt to seal the title:

Robben has also won four DFB-Pokals with Bayern and the UEFA Champions League once. Overall, he bagged 144 goals and 101 assists in 308 appearances.

He could have been a similarly valuable asset to Madrid had he stayed, though it's unlikely Perez will have lost much sleep over the Dutchman's sale given Ronaldo plundered 450 goals in his nine years in the Spanish capital.

Bayern have been steadily less reliant on their wing duo in recent years as they have got older. The club has also recruited the likes of Serge Gnabry, Kingsley Coman and Alphonso Davies, so the German champions won't be without wide options when Robben and Ribery leave.

Nevertheless, the trio have enormous boots to fill, and it will take an incredible effort to replicate their impact at the club.