“Real Madrid robbed my teams so many times” - Former Barcelona star makes astonishing admission
Former Barcelona midfielder Arturo Vidal has come out and claimed that he has been on the receiving end of many questionable calls against Real Madrid.
The Chile international has stated that his sides were 'robbed' against Los Blancos on so many occasions that he has lost count. Vidal has indirectly said that referees always tend to favor the La Liga giants in important games.
Arturo Vidal was quoted as saying the following (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.”
Arturo Vidal has played for some of Europe's most elite clubs. Apart from Barcelona, the midfielder has represented Bayern Munich, Juventus and Inter Milan. This has seen him come up against Real Madrid on numerous occasions in his career.
Vidal played against Los Blancos in various competitions, including the UEFA Champions League and La Liga. He has faced them 16 times in his career, where he has won and drawn on four occasions and has suffered defeat eight times. Vidal has scored three goals against Madrid with one of them coming for Barcelona during an El Clasico back in 2018 in an emphatic 5-1 victory.
Arturo Vidal was not notably part of the Bayern Munich team which suffered a 4-2 aggregate defeat against Real Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinal back in 2017. The Chile midfielder was given a harsh red card six minutes inside 90 minutes before the game entered extra time.
Cristiano Ronaldo netted a hat-trick for the team then managed by Zinedine Zidane. However, for his second goal in extra time, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner was clearly seen standing in an offside position which was not spotted by the officials.
When do Real Madrid and Barcelona face each in the 2023-24 season?
Barcelona and Real Madrid will face each other twice in La Liga. The first encounter between the two great rivals will be contested in Barcelona on Sunday (October 29). The reverse fixture of the El Clasico will be played at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday (April 21, 2024).
This, however, does not include any potential clashes between the two sides in the UEFA Champions League, Copa Del Rey or the Supercopa de Espana.
It is worth mentioning that the two sides have already faced each other in pre-season prior to the start of the 2023-24 campaign. Xavi Hernandez's side picked up a 3-0 victory over Los Blancos in Texas with Ousmane Dembele, Fermin Lopez and Ferran Torres getting on the score sheet.