Mehmedi: Last 6 months at VfL Wolfsburg “one of the worst in my career”

Went to Antalyaspor in January

Admir Mehmedi moved to Antalyaspor in Turkey last January after four years and 27 points in 84 competitive games for VfL Wolfsburg. The attacker, who turned 31 on March 16, came to an actually positive conclusion – if it hadn’t been for the last half of the year with the “Wolves”.

“I had a wonderful time in Wolfsburg – except for the last six months,” said Mehmedi, quoted by “sports buzzer”. “The last six months in Wolfsburg were among the worst of my career.” At the beginning of the 2021/22 season, the Swiss was not nominated for the Champions League squad under the then coach Mark van Bommel. “I’m personally a bit disappointed by some people with how the whole thing went. I think I can say that too,” said Mehmedi.

“It’s just a bit strange when a player who was almost always a regular player for three or three and a half years when he was fit suddenly no longer plays a major role,” says the veteran and former 8 million purchaser. He had previously played 15 times in the “premier class” for Bayer 04 Leverkusen, FC Zurich and Dynamo Kyiv, plus 22 appearances in the Europa League (also for Wolfsburg and SC Freiburg).

Mit Wind, Baku & Co.: The most expensive additions to VfL Wolfsburg

26 Andrés D’Alessandro | 03/04 by River Plate | Transfer fee: €9.5 million

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As of March 4, 2022

23 Jakub Kaminski | 22/23 by Lech Poznan | Transfer fee: €10 million

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Coming in Summer 2022

23 Ridle Baku | 20/21 from Mainz 05 | Transfer fee: €10 million

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23 Josip Brekalo | 16/17 by Dinamo Zagreb | Transfer fee: €10 million

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21 Wout Weghorst | 18/19 from AZ Alkmaar | Transfer fee: €10.5 million

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21 Obafemi Martins | 09/10 from Newcastle | Transfer fee: €10.5 million

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19 Jeffrey Bruma | 16/17 by PSV | Transfer fee: €11.5 million

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19 Landry Dimata | 17/18 by KV Ostend | Transfer fee: €11.5 million

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15 Max Kruse | 15/16 from Gladbach | Transfer fee: €12 million

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15 Luca Waldschmidt | 21/22 by Benfica | Transfer fee: €12 million

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15 Smellingly Bazoer | 16/17 by Ajax | Transfer fee: €12 million

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15 Jonah Wind | 21/22 from Copenhagen | Transfer fee: €12 million

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13 Yunus Malli | 16/17 from Mainz 05 | Transfer fee: €12.5 million

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13 Simon Kjaer | 10/11 from US Palermo | Transfer fee: €12.5 million

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12 Yannick Gerhardt | 16/17 from 1. FC Cologne | Transfer fee: €13 million

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11 Sebastiaan Bornauw | 21/22 from 1. FC Cologne | Transfer fee: €13.5 million

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8 Daniel Ginczek | 18/19 from VfB Stuttgart | Transfer fee: €14 million

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8 Ignacio Camacho | 17/18 from Malaga FC | Transfer fee: €14 million

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8 Andrea Barzagli | 08/09 by US Palermo | Transfer fee: €14 million

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7 Xavier Schlager | 19/20 by Red Bull Salzburg | Transfer fee: €15 million

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6 Diego | 10/11 by Juventus | Transfer fee: €15.5 million

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5 Luis Gustavo | 13/14 from FC Bayern | Transfer fee: €16 million

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4 John Anthony Brooks | 17/18 by Hertha BSC | Transfer fee: €17 million

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3 Kevin De Bruyne | 13/14 from Chelsea | Transfer fee: €22 million

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2 André Schurrle | 14/15 from Chelsea | Transfer fee: €32 million

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“Okay, maybe in the end it wouldn’t always have been enough for the starting eleven. But no one can tell me: From now on you’re number 26 or 27 in the squad. I’m not going there. I couldn’t understand then and I still can’t understand what happened last summer,” said Mehmedi, who felt “labeled”. He “could do whatever you wanted. You were just behind, you were powerless. That was just disappointing for me.”

Ex-Wolfsburg professional Mehmedi is stopped by an injury at Antalyaspor

The 76-cap international has made eight appearances (one goal) for his new club Antalyaspor. A muscle injury recently stopped him, which could even result in the end of the season. “This is very annoying. But basically it was the right step for me. I’m valued here and I have a good connection to the coach (Nuri Sahin; ed.), who appreciates me as a person and as a player. I do that too.” The first few weeks would have confirmed that he had made the right choice.

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