Feyenoord midfielder Tonny Vilhena reveals he turned down both Sampdoria and Inter in the past.
The Dutch international will face Napoli tonight in the Champions League, but he could have had a more permanent Italian experience.
“I already was a Sampdoria player,” Vilhena told Voetball International.
“It was €4m, there was an agreement between the clubs, everyone was done. Except for one thing: the signature.
Feyenoord midfielder Tonny Vilhena reveals he turned down both Sampdoria and Inter in the past.
The Dutch international will face Napoli tonight in the Champions League, but he could have had a more permanent Italian experience.
“I already was a Sampdoria player,” Vilhena told Voetball International.
“It was €4m, there was an agreement between the clubs, everyone was done. Except for one thing: the signature.
“My mother was really ill, so I didn’t want to leave. The Sampdoria President [Massimo Ferrero] insisted, he put his arm around me and said ‘Tonny, let’s go straight to Genoa and sign a nice contract’.
“I said no though, as I’d done with Inter some years previously. In that case I wasn’t convinced by their plan for me, which included a year on loan at some other Serie A clubs.
“They said they believed in my potential, but at the same time they signed Ever Banega from Sevilla. Hardly an expression of trust…”