Robben: The "Unlucky One" in Finals

Despite having won championships in four different countries, perhaps only a victory in the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund could help Arjen Robben prove that he is not someone who always falls short at the gates of heaven.

The 29-year-old Bayern Munich winger is certainly not lacking in medals or ability, but recent years have shown that he has let many golden opportunities slip through his fingers.

In just the last four years, Robben has played in two Champions League finals and one World Cup final, but he has been on the losing side in all three.

Has Robben been able to forget the pain of last season?

At the 2010 World Cup, Robben had the chance to engrave his name forever in Dutch football history when he faced his former Real Madrid teammate Iker Casillas, but he failed and Spain ultimately won 1-0 with the only goal scored by Andres Iniesta.

Last season, he even volunteered to take a penalty that could have helped Bayern Munich beat Chelsea in the Champions League final, but Petr Cech anticipated Robben's intentions and the trophy went to Stamford Bridge.

This means that one of the best attacking players in the world of his generation may end his career without a single continental or international title. However, Robben hopes that his third final will end sweetly for Bayern.

"It's great to be in a final, but now it's time for us to win. Last year was a huge disappointment and Bayern have improved a lot."

Once nicknamed "the little boy" due to his slender physique, Robben took Europe by storm when he and PSV Eindhoven won the Dutch league title in the 2002-03 season.

In 2004, the then-emerging powerhouse Chelsea beat Manchester United to secure the young star's signature for £12 million. Despite early signs of injuries that would plague him throughout his career, Robben remained a key player in Chelsea's counter-attacking style, helping them win the Premier League for two consecutive seasons under Mourinho.

Mourinho's decision to abandon the winger style of play subsequently led Robben to leave Chelsea in 2007 for Real Madrid, under president Ramon Calderon, for $36 million. He won the Liga title in his first season, but Florentino Perez's return to the presidency in June 2009 ushered in the Galactico 2.0 era at the Bernabeu.

With the arrival of attacking superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka, Robben had to leave, and this time his destination was Bayern Munich - the German giant.

He quickly became a key player at Bayern, having an extraordinary debut season and being voted German Player of the Year.

Bayern achieved a national double, winning both league titles and the Champions League final after victories against Fiorentina and Manchester United, thanks to stunning goals from Robben. However, in the final, they were defeated by Mourinho's Inter Milan.

With his dazzling dribbling style and jaw-dropping goals, Robben was a standout player on the pitch. He had a strong personality even off the sidelines, having once clashed with teammates like Thomas Mueller and Franck Ribery, while Bayern legend Franz Beckenbauer criticized him as "selfish" last season.

Robben's superb curling shot against Barcelona in the second leg of the semi-final showed that not many players in the world today have the ability to decide matches like him. Bayern should now perhaps hope that luck will begin to smile on this Dutch superstar.

According to (Vietnam+) - DT