Arturo Vidal has renewed his rivalry with Real Madrid by sending the Spanish giants a warning ahead of a potential meeting next year.
Vidal has a long history of playing against Real, having turned out for Juventus, Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Inter Milan. His meetings with Real over the years haven’t gone well, with just four wins to his name from 16 matches played across all competitions.
The 35-year-old midfielder now plays for Brazilian side Flamengo – and his transfer in July appeared to have put to bed his rivalry with Real. However, Flamengo’s triumph in the recent Copa Libertadores final means the Chile international will be granted another game against Los Blancos at the upcoming Club World Cup.
After beating Club Athletico Paranaense 1-0 in the Copa Libertadores final on Saturday, Vidal sent a message to Real’s players. While holding up a microphone at a celebration event, Vidal declared to the crowd: " Real Madrid, we are going to kick your a**!"
The Club World Cup is yet to have been given an official date, or venue, but it is expected to go ahead in February next year. The mini tournament pits the continental champions from Asia, Africa, North America, South America and Oceania together and Real and Flamengo are likely to be the two strongest sides in the competition.
Alongside Champions League winners Real Madrid and Copa Libertadores champions Flamengo will be CONCACAF Champions League winners Seattle Sounders, African champions Wydad Casablanca from Morocco and Auckland City, who won the Oceania Champions League.
Two teams are yet to be confirmed: the winner of the Asian Champions League and a team to represent the host country. Chelsea won last season’s competition in Abu Dhabi, beating Brazilian side Palmeiras in the final.
Vidal’s apparent dislike of Real stems from when he was sent off in the quarter-final of the 2016/17 Champions League while playing for Bayern Munich. He made eye-catching allegations in his post-match interview that day and things got much worse in November 2020.
The fiery midfielder was sent off just 33 minutes into Inter Milan’s crucial Champions League game against Real after he was given two quick yellow cards for protesting with Anthony Taylor’s original decision. Nevertheless, the man himself claims to not harbour any special hatred for Real.
"I don't think I'm anti-Madrid," Vidal said while at Barcelona. "I'm a rival of all the teams who play against Barcelona from here on in. There's nothing else to say."
