Give it back!

[LeTallecWiz]

So Vermaelen got a winner's medal last week ... after playing 0 minutes in the tournament ...

Now UEFA wants it back:

[article=http://www.101greatgoals.com/blog/barcelonas-thomas-vermaelen-is-forced-to-give-back-his-champions-league-winners-medal-voetbalkrant/]UEFA have forced Barcelona defender Thomas Vermaelen to return his Champions League winners medal, due to a lack of appearances in the competition, according to a report by Belgian website voetbalkrant.com.

According to UEFA rules, a player can only recieve a Champions League medal if he has appeared in the competition during the season.

Thomas Vermaelen’s injury stricken campaign has meant he has played no part in the Catalan club’s road to glory in Berlin and therefore he can’t be considered a Champions League winner.

The Belgian ace is not the only player from Barcelona to miss out on a winners medal. Chilean goalkeeper Claudio Bravo and Brazilian full back Douglas Pereira also miss out on being Champions League winners as neither of them have featured in the competition this season.[/article]

 

[keniget]

Heh, that's gotta suck. He probably wouldn't have played that much anyways.

I wish we could sign 15M players just on the off chance that they might be needed and other signings won't work out.

Oh wait...

 

[King Binny]

Barcelona-based newspaper Diario Sport:
[article=http://www.sport-english.com/en/news/premier-league/champions-league-arsenal-denied-four-million-euro-thomas-vermaelen-windfall-4258853]The Catalan club did give Vermaelen a medal, however. They were handed 40 medals by UEFA and it is up to the club how they distribute them, but that doesn't affect who UEFA view as a Champions League winner. [/article]