"Lives rent free in his head", "Still salty" - Fans react as ex-Barcelona star claims he experienced 'many robberies' against Real Madrid
Fans online have reacted to Chile international and former Barcelona midfielder Arturo Vidal's comments about Real Madrid.
Vidal has never shied away from publicly voicing his opinions, regardless of their controversial nature. He recently came out to shun Los Blancos and the 'robberies' he has experienced against them.
He said (via Madrid Zone):
“Against Real Madrid I experienced so many robberies in my career, that sometimes I forget details. They robbed my teams so many times.”
The 36-year-old has had an illustrious playing career, turning out for some of the biggest clubs in Europe, including Juventus, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, and Inter Milan. Arturo Vidal is now in the twilight of his footballing days, currently duking it out in the Brazilian Serie A with Athletico Paranaense.
He recently faced backlash from fans due to his comments on Real Madrid. Having bowed out from European football in 2022, fans were quick to point out the delayed nature of his statements, calling him 'obsessed'. One of them responded on X (formerly Twitter), writing:
"Even after all these years Real Madrid still lives rent free in his head 😂😂😂"
Another fan replied:
"Still salty from all the losses 😂"
Here are some more reactions to the Chilean footballer's comments:
The Colo-Colo academy graduate has faced Real Madrid in a total of 16 games, with most of them coming in the UEFA Champions League. His continental record against the Spanish giants is abysmal, to say the least, registering seven losses and two draws in 10 appearances.
The explosive midfielder fared much better against Los Merengues during his stint with Barcelona, though. He recorded three victories, two draws, and a solitary loss across all competitions. In the said 16 match-ups, Vidal has netted three goals, racking up seven yellow cards and two sending-offs along the way (source: Transfermarkt).
Having won league titles in three of Europe's top five leagues, Vidal is definitely one of the best midfielders of our generation. Nevertheless, his outspoken personality has often led him to fire, with opposing fans always hitting back at his contentious statements.
Arturo Vidal featured in Barcelona's famous 5-1 routing of Real Madrid in 2018
Arturo Vidal announced his arrival in Spain with a bang, becoming a fan favorite post his performance against Barcelona's fiercest rivals. He joined the Blaugrana from Bayern Munich in 2018 and spent two years with the club.
Having played a bit-part role in his early days at Barca, Vidal came on against Real Madrid in the 84th minute at Camp Nou in La Liga in 2018. Barcelona were already leading the game by a scoreline of 4-1, with Luis Suarez netting a hat-trick.
Despite the limited time, Vidal made an instant impact. He grabbed his first goal for the Catalans, heading past Thibaut Courtois in the 87th minute in his first El Clasico appearance.
Vidal departed the club in 2020 to join Inter Milan, having scored 11 goals, provided 11 assists and won two titles.