Fernando Meira was all smiles upon his return to his old home at the MHP Arena. He was a guest for the recent international matchday on 1 March when VfB took on VfL Wolfsburg, and remains fluent in German, greeting us with a “Hallo, wie geht’s?” He now lives in Guimarães, the Portuguese city where he was born, and is still very much involved in football, including as a UEFA Champions League pundit for Portuguese television. And yes, he keeps tabs on VfB – close tabs, it would appear…
Fernando Meira :
VfB are back in Europe, developing an international presence and they have players in their ranks who are capable of big things.
“Things are very tight in the Bundesliga,” Meira said, before explaining how pleased he is that VfB are well placed among the leaders. “The draw in Heidenheim was frustrating, but then the following week, the team really showed a good turnaround against Wolfsburg and put in a fantastic performance.” The 47-year-old was in attendance at the MHP Arena, enjoying the atmosphere, the chants from the fans and quite simply the opportunity to come back to a place that still means a lot to him. “When I see the stadium, I remember things that happened back in the day. It’s like watching it in a movie, and it gives me goosebumps,” he said. The highlight of his time with the club was the German Bundesliga title in 2007, when he was captain of a team which racked up 70 points, finishing two clear of Schalke 04 to lift the trophy.
“Expecting a close match”
Meira is pleased with how his former club is progressing, saying: “VfB are back in Europe, developing an international presence and they have players in their ranks who are capable of big things”. The next thing on the horizon for the club is the round of 16 of the UEFA Europa League, with the lads from Cannstatt at home to Porto in the first leg on Thursday 12 March 2026 (kick-off: 18.45 CET), with the away leg the following week (19 March 2026, 21:00 CET) in the Estádio do Dragão. Meira is certainly looking forward to the two-legged contest. “It’s tough to pick a favourite. I’m expecting a close match, and once you get to the knockout stage, you need that little bit of luck to be on your side as well,” said the 54-time Portugal international, who represented his country at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
Tough opponents
“They’re a strong team that can come at you as a group while at the same time having good individual players,” said Meira, when asked how he would characterise Porto. He described them as expansive in attack, strong in the press and resolute in defence – in short, one of the top teams on the European stage. “VfB will really have to stay focused and make sure that they don’t give Porto any real opportunity to turn defence into attack,” he added. “They’ll also have to maintain plenty of pressure on them even when they’re out of possession.”
Meira will be watching both matches, and will be in the stadium in Porto for the second leg. His new job as a pundit for Portuguese television on UEFA Champions League matches
