Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal has made a shocking claim about Real Madrid. Throughout his career, Vidal has played for some of the biggest European clubs like Juventus, Bayern Munich, FC Barcelona, Inter Milan, and so on. Currently, he is playing for the Brazilian club Athletico Paranaense. However, despite leaving FC Barcelona back in 2020, his dislike for Real Madrid remains intact.
One of Arturo Vidal’s past interviews has recently resurfaced on social media platforms again. Speaking with the Spanish news outlet Mundo Deportivo, Vidal raised questions about Real Madrid’s historic Champions League three-peat. From 2016-2018, Cristiano Ronaldo‘s Real Madrid went on to win three unprecedented consecutive Champions League titles.
Vidal, however, claimed that had Video Assistant Referee (VAR) been introduced back then, Real Madrid couldn’t have achieved this feat. He said, “Real Madrid was favored by the referee twice in their 3-peat, when they beat Bayern Munich in 2017 and 2018. Everyone saw it. I think that’s why they then introduced VAR, they couldn’t fix the games like that anymore.“
Arturo Vidal: “Real Madrid were favoured by the referee twice in their 3-peat, when they beat Bayern Munich in 2017 and 2018. Everyone saw it. I think that’s why they then introduced VAR, they couldn’t fix the games like that anymore.” pic.twitter.com/cT8bsdyoQ4
— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) August 30, 2023
Arturo Vidal, who was part of the Bayern Munich team back in 2017 and 2018, referred to some controversial refereeing moments during the match. Many believe that Real Madrid was unfairly awarded some goals during those Champions League-winning campaigns. However, it would also be wrong not to give credit to the Real Madrid side whose feat remains unmatched.
Arturo Vidal’s past controversial comments about Real Madrid
Arturo Vidal is known for his often controversial nature and brash comments. The former Bayern Munich star is known especially for his hatred for Real Madrid. While Vidal’s comments about Ronaldo’s former club being favored by referees are one example, they’re not the only ones.
Since Arturo Vidal joined FC Barcelona back in 2018, his rivalry with Los Blancos has further increased. While there is a history of animosity between Spain’s two biggest soccer clubs, Vidal’s arrival at Lionel Messi‘s former team helped further intensify the rivalry. The ex-FC Barcelona star made a rather controversial comment about Real Madrid last year when he was playing for another Brazilian side, Flamengos.
‘Madrid, we’re going to break your arses’
– those were the words of Arturo Vidal in October, before Flamengo duly went out in the semi-finals of the World Club Cup, before the two had the chance to face each other in the final.pic.twitter.com/orzX5zQNsC
— Football España (@footballespana_) February 8, 2023
Vidal’s Flamengo, who had won the Copa Libertadores, had the possibility of facing Real Madrid in the Club World Cup. Speaking ahead of the potential clash, Vidal had claimed, “Madrid, we are going to break your a**.” However, it was the Spanish giants who had the last laugh, as Flamengo couldn’t even qualify for the final. Vidal’s side lost 3-2 against Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal and was thus forced to retract his statement.