Sports Nicknames - Robbery



Of all the winger duos ever to play the game of football, you'll be hard-pressed to find one as prolific as Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben. The pair did not invent the "inside forward" position of winger, where they would constantly cut inside rather than running along the touchline. However, they did revolutionise it's effectiveness on the game. Together, they became known as Bayern's "Robbery".

Franck Ribery joined Bayern Munich in 2007 from Marseille and quickly became recognised as one of the best wingers in the world - and certainly one of the best French players of his generation. He was fast, unpredictable and an excellent dribbler who could spot even the most difficult of passes.

Profile drawing of Franck Ribery. Bayern Munich and France national footballer.  Illustration.  Sketch.  Avatar.

Arjen Robben joined Bayern the year after Ribery from Real Madrid. He became renowned for his left foot, which he would cut inside with and seemingly be able to score from any position. His blistering pace and dribbling also cut him out as one of the best wingers in the world.

Profile drawing of Arjen Robben. Bayern Munich and Holland - Dutch national footballer.  Illustration.  Sketch.  Avatar.

Together, these two wingers led Bayern to almost a decade of unprecedented success, as they won Bundesliga title after title, only losing out in the 08-09 season to Wolfsburg and from 2010-2012 to Borussia Dortmund. Otherwise, the pair have won a combined 20 trophies at the Bavarian club, with Ribery edging Robben out slightly having arrived a year earlier. This includes the 2012-2013 Champions League victory over Dortmund.

This legendary wing duo will go down as one of the best of all time, and for good reason. It's unlikely that we shall ever see such a unique combination of speed, trickery, power and vision as that of the "Robbery" wingers.

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