The Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal has acknowledged that the car accident he was involved in in 2015, while celebrating the Copa América in Chile, marked a turning point in his career and transformed his life. In addition, he expressed his gratitude for the support received from the fans and the then president of the federation. Currently captain of Colo Colo, Vidal crashed his Ferrari on a highway near the capital after the first match against Mexico. He was arrested by the authorities, but thanks to the efforts of the Chilean federation and the intervention of the government, he was allowed to rejoin the Chilean national team, which ultimately won the tournament.
“Sergio, I know that you are the president of the federation, that you are the one in charge, but do what you have to do for the good of the country.”
Words from the Palacio de La Moneda, headquarters of the Presidency of the RepublicThis situation sought to clean up the image of the footballer, despite the fact that the national team coach, Jorge Sampaoli, considered expelling him. The strategy, orchestrated by Jadue and Vidal’s representative, Fernando Felicevich, included an emotional press conference.“Jadue, minutes before the press conference, was clear with the midfielder: “Either you cry or you leave.” Vidal responded immediately: “But I am not an actor.”
Christian González, journalistLessons Learned
In his program “El Reinado”, Vidal reflected on the impact of this event on his career. He assured that the episode was crucial in his sporting development.“From going from a situation where anything could have happened to me or Marité (his partner) at that moment, to be playing two days later is not easy, but people showed me affection, if many didn’t like it, but many people supported me at that moment.”
Arturo VidalVidal, who at that time played for Juventus of Turin, added that the incident increased his hunger and confidence in achieving victory in the Copa América. He acknowledged having learned a lot from his mistakes, considering this one of the most difficult moments of his career. Despite the incident, Vidal felt the support of the fans in the stadium two days later. This changed his way of thinking and living, so he will always be grateful to the national team. In the next match, Vidal not only played against Bolivia, but was also included in the starting eleven. Chile finally won the Copa América, the first in its history, after defeating Argentina in the penalty shootout.
