PlayinAway – Page 4 – Thomas Vermaelen

VERMAELEN: MESSI CURRENTLY IN A VERY TIGHT POSITION

There is currently both a huge demand and a massive pressure on Barcelona captain Lionel Messi to sign a new contract extension at the club but the situation is a complicated one and it is also one that he has to put under serious thoughts before arriving at a reasonable conclusion. The Barca superstar revealed last summer that he wanted to leave the club and was ready to seek a new adventure at another club in a different country, but he was not allowed to fulfill his desire.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EfaSysNXgAI1hGi.jpg

In the public interview where he broke the news, he said he was tired of always being targeted as the cause of the problems at the club and felt that if he left, he would be spared all the blames. But after being blocked from securing a move away, he remained at the club and continue playing for the team on the condition that there would be positive changes made within the club.
Continue reading

VERMAELEN HAILS KOEMAN’S IMPACT AT BARCA

Former Barcelona defender Thomas Vermaelen has hailed the impact made by the manager of the club, Ronald Koeman, saying that the former Southampton boss deserves a lot of credit for how he has turned things around at the Camp Nou. Koeman was appointed as Barcelona manager following the sacking of Quique Setien and was charged with the responsibility of taking the team to greater heights.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DtsImSFX4AAX1ad.jpg

Koeman inherited a Barcelona side that was lacking in confidence and had a lot of work to do in bringing back the fear factor and their spectacular style of play as well. The club did struggle under the Dutch manager in the opening months of his Barcelona managerial career, but after those struggles, a lot has changed and he has put a lot of things in order as well.
Continue reading

VERMAELEN BACKS ARTETA FOR ARSENAL SUCCESS

Former Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen has backed Gunners boss Mikel Arteta to come good at the club and should also be given the tune to show that he has what it takes to take the club to another level. Arteta was appointed as the club’s permanent manager after the sacking of Unai Emery and has since guided the club to different highs and lows, but Vermaelen believes the club are under the right management with the Spaniard.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DmhhNF3X4AAjQE7.jpg

Arsenal are currently in the tenth position in the Premier League table and their hopes of qualifying for a European place next season appear to be fading off but it still does not stop the former Belgium international defender to insist that Arteta is the right man for the job and no one else.
Continue reading

BELGIUM LEGEND INSISTS HE WOULD PICK VERMAELEN OVER STRUJIK

An ex-defender of the Belgium national team, Marc Degryse has said that he would rather put faith in veteran central defender Thomas Vermaelen than in Leeds United defender Pascal Strujik.

The Leeds United central defensive star is under the radar to being called up to link up with the Portugal national team and it’s pretty much a decision that would definitely not sit well with Degryse, who has said that former Arsenal defender Vermaelen would be a better option anytime any day over Strujik.
Continue reading

THOMAS VERMAELEN: PREMIER LEAGUE CAREER REVEALED

Vissel Kobe centre back Thomas Vermaelen has enjoyed a relatively good football career till date. His professional football career has taken him to several countries from the Netherlands to the United Kingdom to Spainto Italy and now Japan. He became a prominent player when Arsenal signed him from Dutch champions Ajax Amsterdam in the summer of 2009. The Gunners paid an initial fee of €10m to sign Thomas Vermaelen from Ajax Amsterdam. The contract that took him to Arsenal had an extra €2m in add-ons. Thomas Vermaelen has played for one Premier League team in his career and that’s Arsenal. He was at the club for five years before the Gunners cashed in on him in a £15m deal to Spanish giants Barcelona. Thomas Vermaelen left the Gunners at a time when he had several injury problems.

VERMAELEN SAYS HE WANTS MESSI TO REMAIN AT BARCELONA

One of the most shocking revelations of last summer was when Barcelona captain Lionel Messi declared that he was tired of the club and wanted to leave. The statement sent Shockwave across the footballing world and even caused some Barcelona fans to storm the Camp Nou as they protested against the management of the club. It also sent top European clubs on red-alert as they kept lurking around to find out how and if they could secure the signing of one of football’s best-ever players.

The club were able to make Messi rescind his decision and remain at the club but it remains to be seen how long he can remain for, with many believing that he is still unhappy at the club and has already set his mind on leaving the club he has been at since he was a kid.
Continue reading

VERMAELEN REVEALS HE REGRETS SIGNING FOR BARCELONA

Former Barcelona defender Thomas Vermaelen has revealed that one of the biggest mistakes he made in his career was choosing to sign for Catalan giants Barcelona. The former Belgium international defender left Arsenal in the summer transfer window of 2014 and sealed a £15 move to the Camp Nou. Following his arrival at the Camp Nou, the former defender was then starkly deprived if game time and was mostly on the substitutes’ bench.

In a bid to try and revive his already sinking career, Vermaelen completed a loan move away from Barcelona to Italian Serie A giabts AS Roma but things did not stop going bad for him. When he returned to Barcelona, he had several opportunities to seal a switch away from the club with many top European clubs showing interest in signing him but he chose to stay out. However, according to his recent interview, staying behind at the Camp Nou is what he regrets doing. Continue reading

VERMAELEN REVEALS DISAPPOINTMENT AT VAN PERSIE ARSENAL EXIT

When Robin Van Persie was at Arsenal, he was a clear fan favorite. Also, he was loved even in the Arsenal dressing room and amongst his then Arsenal teammates. With Theo Walcott earlier this week declaring his likeness for the former Gunners’ striker, another former Arsenal star has now come to make some positive comments about the former Netherlands striker.

This time it is the Nortth London club’s former defender Thomas Vermaelen who has come into the spotlight to make some raving comments about Van Persie. Vermaelen has revealed that he was a huge fan of the former Feyenoord striker and expressed his disappointment at the fact that he had to leave the club in 2012.
Continue reading

WHEN WILL VERMAELEN LEAVE VISSEL KOBE?

Japanese top division club Vissel Kobe increased the European contingent in their squad when they signed veteran Belgian utility player Thomas Vermaelen at the end of his time at Barcelona. Thomas Vermaelen had an injury-filled career at Barcelona while he was at the Nou Camp outfit for five years. Thomas Vermaelen made the move to Barcelona in the summer of 2014 after the Catalan giants paid £15m for his services. He left Arsenal to join Barcelona after five years with the Gunners.

Surprisingly, Thomas Vermaelen has been free of injuries for most of his time at Vissel Kobe in Japan. He linked up with Vissel Kobe on a free transfer in the second half of 2019. Thomas Vermaelen and Spanish football legend Andres Iniesta were teammates at Barcelona and he went to join the Spaniard at VisselKobe. Ex-Belgian national team player Thomas Vermaelenis a utility defender who can play on the left or right side of the central defence. The 35-year-old can also play as a left-back as he did on several occasions at Arsenal and for the Red Devils of Belgium.
Continue reading

VERMAELEN NAMES HIS TOP 4 LEGENDS

Vissel Kobe defender Thomas Vermaelen has mentioned his top four legends with one ex-player from his native Belgium making his list. Thomas Vermaelen was asked about his top legend in each position from Goalkeeper to Defender to Midfielder to Striker during his time at Spanish La Liga giants Barcelona.

Thomas Vermaelen opted for compatriot Michel Preud’hommeas he revealed that he was impressed with the former Belgium national team shot stopper for his performance for the Red Devils at the 1994 FIFA World Cup tournament in the United States of America. Michel Preud’homme was part of the Belgium team that got to the second round at USA ’94 before they were eliminated by then world champions Germany. Continue reading