Football News – Thomas Vermaelen

Youri Tielemans heaps praise on Belgian compatriot Kevin de Bruyne

Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans has heaped praise on Kevin de Bruyne, who has enjoyed a superb season on a personal level with Manchester City. The Belgium international endured a frustrating 2018/2019 campaign with injuries, but he has been able to make amends during the current campaign with numerous goalscoring contributions.

Tielemans has played alongside his compatriot for the national side on a number of occasions and hailed the Belgian as an ‘unbelievable player’, he told: “He’s an unbelievable player. It’s pretty obvious what he accomplished at this club and I’m not trying to compare myself to that. What’s important for me now is winning games and having an impact for my team. I’m really happy I can do that as of recent and my style is always going to continue to be that very attacking-minded and creative kind of player. I’m happy I can help the team any way I can.”
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Lukaku insists Inter Milan need to prepare well for Europa League semi-final

Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku has said that the team must prepare well for the semi-final clash of the Europa League. The Belgium international was on the scoresheet in the 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen in the last eight of the competition, but the margin of victory could have been greater, had the Nerazzurri taken the chances at hand.

A number of chances were squandered over the course of the 90 minutes but ultimately, they managed to seal the victory which sees them into the last four of the competition. They are scheduled to face either Shakhtar Donetsk or Basel in that game and prior to that, Lukaku feel his team must be ready with good preparation.
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Martinez suggests De Bruyne could leave City because of European ban

Belgium manager Roberto Martinez believes Kevin de Bruyne could consider a fresh challenge away from Manchester City, suppose the club fail to overturn their two-year ban on European club competitions. The Citizens were imposed with the embargo earlier this year after they were deemed to have breached UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations.

Pep Guardiola’s side are expected to appeal against the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport this month but there are suggestions that the ban may not be completely overruled. In such a case, the Citizens may be without Champions League football for the 2020/21 season and Martinez believes De Bruyne could consider his future with the club.
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Thomas Meunier says he wants to remain with PSG next term

Belgium international Thomas Meunier has revealed that he wants to remain with Paris Saint-Germain next season and the club are aware of the same. The right-back’s contract with Les Parisiens is due to expire at the end of next month and so far, there has been no progress over an extension beyond that period.

Les Parisiens are likely to keep hold of him until August at the least due to their Champions League commitments but it is unclear whether he would sign a new deal thereafter. Speaking to a French outlet, Meunier said that he has the ambition of staying with the French champions and the same has been communicated to the club through his representative.
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Martinez confident Eden Hazard will return stronger with Madrid

Belgium manager Roberto Martinez is confident that Eden Hazard will return stronger following the ankle injury sustained in February. The Belgium international made the high-profile move to Real Madrid from Chelsea last summer but he has since endured a difficult campaign where he has missed 36 games through injuries.

As a result, he has bagged a meagre tally of one goal from 10 league appearances but Martinez is sure that the attacker will make a positive impact on his comeback, he told: “I know he is recovering well. He is not far from running again and there are no complications. Everything went well with the operation, but you also hope that everything goes well in the four to five weeks afterwards without complications, and there were none. We know he will return stronger. We were also fortunate, of course, to have his surgery take place just before the coronavirus outbreak. Otherwise he would not be able to travel or be treated outside of Madrid. I have a positive feeling that Eden will be back soon.”
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Alderweireld admits Mourinho convinced him to sign new Tottenham deal

Belgium international Toby Alderweireld has revealed that manager Jose Mourinho played a key role in convincing him to sign a new contract with Tottenham Hotspur. The versatile defender was initially expected to leave the north London side on a free transfer in the summer but he is now contracted to the club until the summer of 2023.

Speaking to The Mail, Alderweireld hailed the man-management skills of Mourinho and said that he was convinced with the approach from the Portuguese tactician. He added that he has always remained committed to Spurs and the same was the case when Mauricio Pochettino was at the helm earlier in the season.
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Martinez says De Bruyne is committed to City despite European ban

Belgium head coach Roberto Martinez has said that Manchester City’s European competition ban may not urge Kevin de Bruyne to head through the exit door. The midfielder has been a key player in the Citizens’ trophy success over the past few years but there has been the speculation that he may consider a departure, should the club fail to compete in next season’s Champions League.

Speaking on BeIN Sports, Martinez acknowledged that the reigning Premier League champions are facing a tough situation at the moment and they may not feature in the Champions League for the next few years unless they win their appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. He added that a two-year absence from the competition could have big implications at the club but believes De Bruyne won’t push for an exit.

Zidane confirms Eden Hazard won’t return for Spanish Super Cup

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has confirmed that Eden Hazard won’t recover from an ankle problem in time for the Spanish Super Cup next week. The Belgium international picked up the setback during the Champions League group stage clash against Paris Saint-Germain in November and he has since missed seven games for the club in all competitions including the El Clasico against Barcelona.

Los Blancos recently returned to winning ways in La Liga with a 3-0 thumping of Getafe on the road and prior to that game, Zidane cleared that Hazard won’t be travelling to Jeddah for the new version of the Spanish Super Cup, he told: “He’s 100 per cent out of the Super Cup. He’s not travelling and at the moment he’s in a normal process of recovery. I hope that just after the Super Cup, bit by bit, we could see him with us again.”

ORIGI HAS NO PROBLEM WITH FRINGE ROLE

DivockOrigi’s move to Liverpool was seen as a risk by many few years ago. At the risk of ending up like David Ngog who made 68 appearances for the Reds but couldn’t even register double digits despite playing in a role that was literally carved to register double digits, many felt Origi should have chosen a smaller team to start his England career.

True to what people feared, the Belgian has found life at Anfield to be bitter-sweet given that even his best performances are never enough to displace Jurgen Klopp’s first choice.

Belgium head coach Roberto Martinez insists Eden Hazard is not fat

Belgium manager Roberto Martinez has hailed Eden Hazard as a world-class player and stated that he takes good care of himself. The former Chelsea man has been deemed to have put on weight since joining Real Madrid over the summer but Martinez feels there is nothing of that sort and the attacker is approaching the prime of his career.

Speaking in a press conference, he said: “I’m happy to see Eden with the group. He’s smiling. He’s a world-class player, who is unique, talented. He is also very professional and, although he has already won trophies [in his career], he is reaching the highest point of his career. He takes great care of himself and, in my eyes, he’s not fat.”