Arturo Vidal (foto: Getty Images)
Arturo Vidal, the Chilean football icon, lashes out at national team coach Ricardo Gareca for excluding him from the squad, accusing him of favoritism and poor decisions.
Not only in the Balkans does football fuel fiery statements, but South America also has its share of outspoken personalities. Arturo Vidal, former star of Juventus, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Inter Milan, and the Chilean national team, has launched a scathing attack on Chile’s head coach, Ricardo Gareca, for leaving him out of the squad for the September international break.
Now playing for Colo-Colo, Vidal didn’t hold back, expressing his frustration: “I’m a player in the best team in Chile, one of the top 16 in South America, and I’m furious I wasn’t called up. But that’s football. Gareca seems to only watch one league—the Argentine league. That idiot doesn’t watch Copa Libertadores matches. "
"He only watches games in Argentina and keeps playing the same guys for years. You should be grateful to players for representing the national team, but he’s ruining so many young talents. I don’t understand his decisions. He’s respected because he’s the coach, but I don’t get his approach or how we play. I would never have replaced Berizzo with him.”
Chile’s performance in the World Cup qualifiers has been dismal. This month, they lost both matches—one to Argentina and a painful 2-1 defeat at home to Bolivia, a team that hadn’t won away from home in 31 years. After eight qualifying rounds, Chile has only managed five points, and their chances of making it to the next World Cup are already slim.