{"id":471699,"date":"2025-10-03T18:12:35","date_gmt":"2025-10-03T18:12:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/471699\/"},"modified":"2025-10-03T18:12:35","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T18:12:35","slug":"villa-flop-reborn-on-verge-of-national-team-pick-after-quiet-summer-transfer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/471699\/","title":{"rendered":"Villa flop &#8216;reborn&#8217; on verge of national team pick after quiet summer transfer"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>After a disappointing spell at Aston Villa Philippe Coutinho has been reborn after a return to his boyhood club<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/0_Aston-Villa-v-Manchester-United-Premier-League.jpg\" alt=\"Philippe Coutinho\" loading=\"eager\"  \/>Philippe Coutinho is having a resurgence at his new club in Brazil(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\" publication=\"birminghammail\">After a tough couple of years at Aston Villa, <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.birminghammail.co.uk\/sport\/football\/transfer-news\/philippe-coutinho-breaks-silence-before-31761768\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">Philippe Coutinho<\/a> has been making headlines for a very different reason after his quiet summer transfer to Brazil. Although he showed some promising spells at Villa Park, the midfielder failed to live up to anywhere near his promise in the Midlands.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\" publication=\"birminghammail\">But while many didn\u2019t even realise he was still on the Villa books,<a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.birminghammail.co.uk\/sport\/football\/transfer-news\/philippe-coutinho-breaks-silence-sets-31851847\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\"> Coutinho\u2019s transfer to Vasco da Gama<\/a> in the summer window has reignited something inside the 32-year-old, and fans can\u2019t seem to get enough.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\" publication=\"birminghammail\">After he arrived from Barcelona in 2022, the number 10 <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.birminghammail.co.uk\/sport\/football\/transfer-news\/aston-villa-transfer-window-psr-31915560\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">showed some glimpses of his prime days at Liverpool,<\/a> appearing in 19 games in his first season, netting five and assisting three more.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\" publication=\"birminghammail\">But as time went on, the same couldn\u2019t be said, and with a failed loan spell in Qatar, he would slowly disappear from the scene at Villa Park, although he still cost the club a fortune in his wages.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1_GettyImages-2229950062.jpg\" alt=\"Philippe Coutinho of Vasco da Gama.\" loading=\"lazy\"  \/>Philippe Coutinho at Vasco da Gama.(Image: Riquelve Santos\/Sports Press Photo\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\" publication=\"birminghammail\">Not part of Unai Emery\u2019s plans,<a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.birminghammail.co.uk\/sport\/football\/transfer-news\/aston-villa-want-terminate-midfielders-31963504\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\"> he cut ties permanently with Aston Villa<\/a> earlier this year, and things began to turn. Since then, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich man has clocked up over 3,000 minutes, starting most of his games.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\" publication=\"birminghammail\">In that time, he has 11 goals and contributed to four more assists. That level of involvement has been regularly playing the full 90 minutes, starting more than coming off the bench -something he hasn\u2019t managed since the 2018-19 season when he had an impact on the Barcelona side.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\" publication=\"birminghammail\">But it\u2019s not just his string of goals that have caught people\u2019s eyes; Vasco\u2019s results have seen an improvement, too.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\" publication=\"birminghammail\">The Rio side has gone unbeaten in their last seven in all competitions, a streak that\u2019s helped them climb away from danger in the S\u00e9rie A table and into the semi-finals of the Copa do Brasil.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1_GettyImages-2238251196.jpg\" alt=\"Philippe Coutinho now plays for Vasco da Gama.\" loading=\"lazy\"  \/>There was even rumours he had earned a call up for the national team(Image: Richard Callis\/Sports Press Photo\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\" publication=\"birminghammail\">According to Brazilian outlet <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.correiodamanha.com.br\/esporte\/futebol\/2025\/09\/amp\/224299-philippe-coutinho-renasce-para-o-futebol.html\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">Correio da manh\u00e3<\/a>, via <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/sportwitness.co.uk\/player-reborn-after-aston-villa-escape-things-going-brilliantly\/\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">Sports Witness<\/a>, Coutinho\u2019s improved form hasn\u2019t gone unnoticed by the national team setup either.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\" publication=\"birminghammail\">They write: \u201cAfter terminating his contract with the British club and signing permanently with Cruzmaltino, the number 10 was \u2018reborn\u2019, being considered for a call-up to the Brazilian national team again, and could be one of the surprises on the list that Ancelotti will release.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\" publication=\"birminghammail\">Although he ended up just missing out on a spot, with Ancelotti preferring the more recently proven talents of Bruno Guimar\u00e3es, Joelinton and Casemiro, it is still being framed that the possibility in the future may still be open and is a stark contrast to his days as a Villan.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0_Whatsapp-storysocial.jpg\" alt=\"\"  \/>The latest Villa headlines sent straight to your phone<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Join our Aston Villa WhatsApp group and get the latest breaking news, interviews and opinion sent straight to your phone, plus matchday team news and live updates of all the action. Just click <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/chat.whatsapp.com\/Lu7kUnCkBrwBYeE8GFvleN\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">on this link<\/a> and select \u2018Join Community\u2019 to get started. The only proviso is that you must have WhatsApp on your phone to participate. It&#8217;s a free service. No one will be able to see your personal information and you will only receive messages from our Villa writers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">We will not spam your WhatsApp feed with constant messages, but you will receive updates from us daily with the latest Villa news. If you later decide to opt out, just go to the name at the top of your screen and click &#8216;Exit Group&#8217;. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. Click here to read our <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reachplc.com\/site-services\/privacy-policy\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">Privacy Notice<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"After a disappointing spell at Aston Villa Philippe Coutinho has been reborn after a return to his boyhood&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":471700,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4100],"tags":[422,9165,94,73320,79,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-471699","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-football","8":"tag-aston-villa-fc","9":"tag-aston-villa-transfer-news","10":"tag-football","11":"tag-philippe-coutinho","12":"tag-sports","13":"tag-uk","14":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115311592088558588","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/471699","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=471699"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/471699\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/471700"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=471699"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=471699"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=471699"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}