Numbers, controversies and reactions… how did Vidal arrive at Athletico?

O athletic surprised and hired the steering wheel Arturo Vidal, 36 years. The Chilean arrives to compete for a spot in the well-attended Hurricane midfield. The veteran’s performances and numbers, however, do not place him today as the team’s starter.

Vidal comes from Flamengo, where he was since July last year. The player did not arrive at the Rio de Janeiro team at the peak of physical fitness, but took over the title and made 24 matches between Brasileirão, Copa do Brasil and Libertadores. On the field, he scored two goals (against Atlético-GO and Botafogo) and an assist (also against the Goiás team), and contributed to the Copa do Brasil and Libertadores titles.

This season, however, he ended up losing his title to Vítor Pereira and received few chances with Sampaoli. He started just 10 games out of 25 in which he appeared. The player also only participated in two goals, giving two assists in the victory over Maringá, by 8 to 2, in Maracanã, for the Copa do Brasil. The Chilean, therefore, will only be able to play for Athletico in the Brasileirão and Libertadores.

The player arrives with the status of a star for what he has done in European football. The high salary also deviates from Athletico’s hiring pattern – at Flamengo, he received more than 1 million monthly. The expectation is that he can help more behind the scenes than on the field.

Career controversies

Arturo Vidal lived with controversies throughout his career. The most recent was for Flamengo. During the match against Boavista, still for Carioca, in February, he was irritated by not playing and threw a boot at the bench. After the game, he still made controversial statements and even offered himself to Colo-Colo, the club that revealed him, during a live.

“King Arturo”, as he is called in Chile, has a life of extravagance with episodes of alcoholism. He has already been removed from the selection for drunkenness, he was caught doing somersaults on top of his Ferrari leaving a ballad, he caused confusion in casinos, among other episodes involving feuds with colleagues and coaches.

One of the most famous cases of the player’s “night life” was in the middle of the 2015 Copa America. The steering wheel crashed his car while driving drunk. He was detained and had his driver’s license confiscated for 120 days.

In 2017, while playing for Bayern Munich, he got involved in a fight in a bar in Germany, with his brother, and was fined BRL 4.4 million. In 2022, Vidal appeared in a video smoking a cigar in the changing rooms after Inter Milan won the Coppa Italia.

The player has also been arrested when he was playing for the Under-20 team. On the way out of the stadium, the Chileans went to meet the fans and ended up clashing with the police, after being scolded by the referees after a defeat.

Athletico and Flamengo fans’ reactions to the news of Vidal’s arrival

Athletico fans shared opinions with Vidal’s arrival. Some believe he will join the group behind the scenes, especially with his vast and successful career. But some are against it because of the cost-effectiveness with salary + performance.

In addition, the concern of the Atleticanos is that he can take the place of players who have been standing out in the midfield. Today, Hurricane has a well-fitted sector with Fernandinho, Erick and Vitor Bueno, in addition to Christian and Alex Santana as decisive options. In the squad, the club still has Hugo Moura and Léo Cittadini.

Vidal can play in all midfield positions. At Inter Milan, for example, he played as a left midfielder. At Flamengo, more like a second midfielder.

If Athletico’s fans were divided by the signing, Flamengo fans celebrated Vidal’s departure. The player was no longer adding to the squad and took a high amount on the club’s payroll. The arrival of Allan, formerly of Atlético-MG, further worsened the chances of the Chilean returning to action.

The agreement between the Rubro-Negros takes place in the midst of the decision to qualify for the semifinals of the Copa do Brasil. The team from Rio has the advantage after winning 2-1 at Maracanã, in the first leg. The return will be this Wednesday (12), at 21:30, at the Ligga Arena.