In the past, Chelsea have lost a few of their best players to Real Madrid, including Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois.
At Stamford Bridge, Hazard and Courtois both won two Premier League titles before their respective moves to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Antonio Rudiger also left Chelsea for Real Madrid in 2022, though he never got his hands on the Premier League crown during his time in west London.
Arjen Robben did, however, winning the trophy two times like Hazard and Courtois. And just as the Belgian duo and Rudiger did, he also swapped the English capital for its Spanish equivalent.
Real Madrid unveiling Arjen Robben
Photo credit should read JAVIER SORIANO/AFP via Getty Images
Chelsea exit was ‘big relief’ for Arjen Robben
In 2007, Chelsea sold Robben to Real Madrid, which brought “relief” to the former Netherlands international.
Despite winning the Premier League title in 2005 and 2006, Robben was eager to leave Jose Mourinho’s side. He wanted a fresh start after struggling with injury at Stamford Bridge.
“For me it was a big relief when the final word came,” Robben was quoted as saying by the Daily Mirror in 2007 as he discussed his move to the Bernabeu. “It was a difficult time because I was waiting for it since the first day I was back training with Chelsea. I had three very nice years at Chelsea, it was a great experience for me and I won every prize I could win in England.
“But I had too many injuries there so didn’t make the impact I wanted to. After a while I felt I wasn’t getting the confidence I needed and I started changing my mind about staying. I will prove that I’m not injury-prone.”
At Real Madrid, the Dutchman continued to be a threat on the flank with his pace and dribbling, but it was at Bayern Munich where he truly exploded.
The German club signed Robben from Real Madrid in 2009 and he went on to have a career there that spanned 10 years. In total, Robben made 309 appearances and scored 144 goals.
His list of major honours won as a Bayern player is endless, but it includes eight Bundesliga titles and one Champions League trophy.
Chelsea achieved a lot themselves in the post-Robben era. But had the 41-year-old remained in west London, perhaps they would have won even more.
Chelsea players celebrate goal against West Brom
Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
What Arjen Robben won at Chelsea
The Premier League was not the only major honour that Robben won while at Chelsea. He also managed to get his hands on the FA Cup, League Cup and Community Shield.
Arjen Robben’s trophy cabinet at Chelsea Number of times won
Premier League 2
FA Cup 1
League Cup 2
Community Shield 1
Total 6
Robben never tasted European glory at Chelsea, and the Blues denied him it in 2012 after beating Bayern in the Champions League final.
It was an awful night for Robben, who had a penalty saved in extra time. However, he was able to win the trophy a year later before getting revenge on Chelsea in the 2013 UEFA Super Cup final.