The future of Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben has been cast into doubt after German newspaper Bild claimed the Dutch international and Coach Pep Guardiolahave fallen out since Guardiola demanded that Thomas Mueller take a penalty in last weekend’s Bundesliga game against Mainz instead of Robben. The spat became more apparent onWednesday when Robben won a penalty in Bayern’s 5-0 UEFA Champions League win against Viktoria Plzen, and the Dutchman refused to take it, despite Guardiola and the entire team urging him to doso.
“I am the coach, I make the calls,” Bild quotes Guardiola as having told his squad, before adding specifically of Robben: “What happened in the penalty situation [againstMainz] is unfair toward the team and the club.” Then, in Bayern’s matchday magazine, the Spaniard said: “Those who honor my decisions will get my support — and those who don’t want tounderstand that will end up in the stands.”
Later, in an interview with De Telegraaf,Guardiola revealed: “Arjen knows why I chose Thomas Mueller on Saturday and now he knows why I chose him in the Champions League. But Arjen must clear his head, which it seems he hadn’t.”