The Bayern Munich ace was reported to have been clocked doing 37km/h against Spain, before his official speed came in below that figure
Arjen Robben says he always suspected his ‘new’ sprint speed world record for a footballer was not legitimate.
The winger was reported to have clocked 37 kilometres per hour as he burned Sergio Ramos for pace during Netherlands’ World Cup clash with Spain in Salvador on June 13.
However, Robben’s speed has now been amended to 31km/h – and the Dutchman is not in the least bit surprised, joking that he never felt like he was in the same category as 100 metres world record holder Usain Bolt.
“I’d already thought [37km/h] was excessive,” he told Algemeen Dagblad. “I am fast, but that would have made me almost as fast as Usain Bolt!”
Robben did admit, though, that he is blessed with a blistering turn of pace that enables him to move up a gear even while in full flight.
“Even during a spring, I can occasionally still accelerate,” he explained. “I am so fit that I can accelerate during a acceleration; like making a new start.
“It’s a great feeling when that works out. I have a sense of power.”
Meanwhile, Robben says that he and his Netherlands colleagues are in a confident and relaxed frame of mind ahead of their last-16 clash with Mexico, something he puts down to coach Louis van Gaal.
“The atmosphere in the group is very good,” the Bayern Munich star enthused. “Of course, the results help, but it’s also the composition, the mix – it’s right.
“And I think it’s great that it works out what I earlier said, that with Van Gaal we have the ideal coach for this group.
“Van Gaal prepares the young guys perfectly already since the start of this campaign.”
Given Netherlands would play the winner of Costa Rica-Greece should they progress the quarter-finals, there are those that believe that the Dutch have a clear run to the last four.
However, Robben does not see it like that at all.
“We can win [against Mexico] for sure, but I don’t see a favourite,” he argued. “We must stay calm now.
“Because the trap is clear: according to a lot of people we’re already in the semi-finals. But it’s not like that.”