When rumours surfaced late last month that Sporting’s teenage forward Tiago Tomás was being lined up for a move to VFB Stuttgart, many around the German club refused to believe there was much hope in the deal materialising.
Stuttgart, struggling to avoid relegation at the bottom of the Bundesliga, were given little chance of securing a player who had already acquired experience of winning the Portuguese title, as well as featuring in the Champions League for Rubén Amorim’s side.
However, despite doubts among the locals, the deal accelerated quickly and Tomás was confirmed as a Stuttgart player shortly before the end of the winter window. The 19-year-old arrived on an initial 18-month loan deal at the Mercedes-Benz Arena, where Die Roten are currently four points adrift in the relegation places.
It is a far cry from the glory of 15 years ago, when Portuguese captain Fernando Meira led the team to the Bundesliga title. Now, Tomás arrives with some questioning the wisdom of putting the burden of heroic expectation on the shoulders of a teenager, although two goals on his full debut against Bayer Leverkusen have gone a long way to easing such concerns.
Tomás also struck the woodwork during his first start, but his brace was not enough to prevent Stuttgart going down 4-2 at the BayArena. After the match, sporting director Sven Mislentat said the Portuguese “ran a lot, presses well, holds the ball well and finishes well,” while coach Pellegrino Matarazzo added: “he’s a great guy – he speaks perfect English and has adapted very well.”
Moves such as the Tomás transfer to Germany has helped increase the popularity of online betting in Portugal as technology advances by leaps and bounds and football fans track and wager on Luso players abroad. The main motivations are: the search for the best casas de apostas in Portugal, the pleasure of entertainment and earning money on betting without leaving the comfort of home.
“We're not going down”
Seleção U19 international Tomás, who celebrated his goals by removing his shinpad to show a print of his family, says he is under no illusions about the task ahead in Germany. The fact the youngster has taken on the pressure of being expected to help Stuttgart avoid the drop says plenty about his ambition, having considered the move carefully and with plenty of research before leaving Lisbon.
“I haven’t played that much this season," Tomás says. “When VfB showed interest, I liked the idea. VfB is a big club in Germany, has won many titles, but hasn’t held the place it deserves in recent years. I’m honoured to play at such a big club.
“I want to help the team; the most important thing now is a win. This time I scored, maybe someone else will do it next week. The situation is not easy, I won’t lie, but we will work hard to get results. Of course, I know the situation we’re in. But we have enough quality to get out of there. It won’t be easy, but I’m sure we can do it. We’re not going down.”
Asked whether his 18-month loan deal would be scuppered by a relegation, the Portuguese remained adamant. “I’m not talking about contracts. [It’s not necessary] because we will stay up. I’m convinced of that.”
Tomás has already begun exploring his new surroundings, showing an endearing enthusiasm by posting photos of himself at the city zoo on his social media accounts. All reports so far depict a young man keen to waste little time in impressing his new employers, who appear to have provided him with a much-needed lift.
“[Our next match with Bochum] is an important game because we have to start scoring, but we have to do it week after week from now on,” Tomás says. “In the past six months, I’ve mainly played in the final stages of matches. The game in Leverkusen has given me confidence.”
By Sean Gillen
