Vormer: 'I could have gone to Saudi Arabia, but I didn't do it'

Vormer had the opportunity to cash in in Saudi Arabia, like many others, but he declined. He is no longer interested in a foreign adventure. 

"Three years ago, I could have gone to Saudi Arabia. I didn't do it, although I must honestly add that I had received a new contract at Club Brugge," Vormer tells Humo.

"Sometimes it's all a bit… complicated. I'm now 35 years old, it's been good. When you go to Saudi Arabia, you go purely for the money. Sometimes you have to be happy with what you have. I also earn well now. (...) Of course, you go for the money. Anyone who says otherwise is talking nonsense. I'm going to Dubai for the sport. Yeah, right! To earn money, yes. Just be honest."

Vormer chose Zulte Waregem after leaving Club Brugge through the back door after 8.5 years. His playing time there was diminishing. "But I did think about stopping, you know. I wasn't playing at Club, and I found that quite difficult. Just sit quietly, I thought: finish the contract and stop, done. Until Jelle (teammate Vossen, ed.) warmed me up for Zulte Waregem: nice club, give it a try. I came here in January. Good plan, attractive financial picture. I immediately got that nice feeling again. The joy of football was back, despite the relegation."

Although Vormer cherishes his time at Club Brugge, he seems to have little feeling for the club now. Under coach Philippe Clement, Vormer lost his starting position. "The day before our home game against PSG, we were on the training field and I got a bib, the starters didn't. That was a slap in my face because I knew: I wouldn't play. I was so angry: what is this, man?! After training, I immediately sent a message to Roos (his wife, ed.): what should I do? Don't go to him, she replied. Well, I did exactly that. I ran up to his office and let it all out. He tried to explain, but it was no use: it didn't get through to me anymore. I was beside myself. Since then, I was allowed to play less and less. The choices of a coach, right?"

"It took some time," said Vormer about his departure. "It could have been nicer, but that's just how it works. Football is a harsh world. At home, I often talk about it with Roos. Then she says: look at what the club has given you, where we live. Don't dwell on it too long, that's the best. Of course, I did for a while. But now I look back on it positively."