Arturo Vidal controversy: Barcelona’s general manager has spoken on the Chilean midfielder’s controversial behavior in the recent past.
Barcelona are going through a rough patch at the moment. The club slipped to second place in the La Liga, as they were held to a draw by Valencia in their final league match before the international break. Earlier in the season, Barcelona faced stunning defeat to Leganes, who at the time were at the bottom of the table.
The Catalan giants are winless in four consecutive La Liga matches at the moment.
Barcelona, however, are also seemingly facing an inner turmoil. Various Spanish reports have claimed that Arturo Vidal is not happy with his situation at Barcelona.
Recently, he opened up on the issue, stating that it is difficult to be happy when one is not playing matches. Arturo Vidal has been on the pitch for only 164 minutes across six La Liga matches, and a mere 8 minutes in two Champions League games combined.
Vidal took out his frustration on his Instagram, posting an angry emoji after the match against Tottenham. However, he deleted the post later. Now, Barcelona’s general manager Pep Segura has stated that Vidal disrespected his teammates, and should apologize.
Arturo Vidal controversy:
Segura said that Vidal has disrespected his teammates with his behavior and he should apologize for it. In an interview with Diario Sport, Segura said, “He has made a mistake and he must fix it.”
“He has shown disrespect towards his fellow teammates and now there is the opportunity to put that right, which I am sure he will take.”
Segura: “Barça are looking for a very specific profile due to the quality that Barça demands and the way they play. There are many very good players that do not fit here. The philosophy has not changed.”
— Barça Centre (@barcacentre) October 11, 2018
Segura also commented on the quality of Barcelona’s current squad. “Our current squad? We have a stronger squad than last season and that was the objective, we have achieved that.” There have also been a lot of question-marks on Valverde, one being instigated by Vidal’s behavior on social media.
Interview with Pep Segura: “Vidal must respect the team and his teammates” [md]
— Barça Centre (@barcacentre) October 10, 2018
“Ernesto Valverde? He is on a two-year deal and there is an option to add a third, we will come to a decision which suits both parties,” said Segura.
📻 [Cat Radio] | Pep Segura: “Arturo Vidal is aware that he was wrong and will rectify”
🔶 Barça’s general manager assures that the Chilean “knows that he has been disrespectful towards his teammates” when it comes to posting messages of contrariety on social networks. pic.twitter.com/rEigJZvBVb
— BarcaTimes (@BarcaTimes) October 11, 2018
What next?
Arturo Vidal, however, has stated that he will continue to work hard and earn his place in Barcelona’s starting XI.
“I want to continue. I’m very good and happy physically. In the last few matches, I’ve been a little bit annoyed. But this is true [that] I’ll keep fighting because there are very important games, where I hope to be a starter,” said the Chilean.
