Arturo Vidal
Encyclopedia
Arturo Erasmo Vidal Pardo (born 22 May 1987) is a Chile
an footballer who plays as defensive midfielder for Juventus
and Chile
. Although usually deployed as a defensive midfielder, Vidal is a versatile box-to-box midfielder capable of playing in a more attacking role as well.
, a working class commune in the capital Santiago
, the second of six children. His potential was discovered by his uncle and he later joined the youth squads of local Primera División giants Colo-Colo
.
and arch rivals Universidad de Chile. Vidal came on as a late substitute for Gonzalo Fierro
. Colo-Colo would go on to win the game 2–1 and win the championship as well. In the following season (2006 Clausura Tournament) he became a more important part of the squad and would lead Colo-Colo to their second championship win in a row. Vidal scored three goals in Colo-Colo's Copa Sudamericana 2006
campaign. His good showing caught the eye of scouts from various European clubs.
that year convinced Bayer's Director of Football Rudi Völler
to make the trip all the way to Chile in order to convince the twenty-year-old to sign. The two clubs then agreed on a fee of $11 million with Bayer Leverkusen paying $7.7 million for 70% ownership of his contract. His transfer broke the previous record of Matías Fernández
's $9 million transfer to Villarreal.
Vidal missed the first game of the season through injury but was soon thrust into the starting line-up and made his debut on 19 August 2007 in the away loss against Hamburg
. He started in half the season's games and scored his first goal for the club just three games into his Bayer career. He was ever present for the 2008–09 season and played a vital role in Bayer's run to the German Cup final. On 8 March, he suffered a concussion during the game against VfL Bochum
and was out for a month. Upon his return, he scored a goal to break the deadlock in the 4–1 semifinal win over Mainz
in the German Cup but Bayer eventually lost to Werder Bremen
in the final.
The 2010-11 season would be Vidal's last with Bayer. He helped the club to a runner-up finish in the Bundesliga and topped the assist charts for his club with 11 assists, which was joint second in the league. He also contributed 2 goals in their run to the Round of 16 of the Europa League.
. On 22 July 2011, he joined Serie A
giants Juventus
for €12.5 million on a 5-year contract. He made his competitive debut in the opening league game of the season against Parma
, coming on as a second-half substitute for Alessandro Del Piero
; he marked his first appearance with a goal six minutes after his introduction in Juventus' 4–1 win. He has since become an integral part of Antonio Conte
's midfield alongside Italy internationals Andrea Pirlo
and Claudio Marchisio
.
at the Under-20 level at the 2007 South American Youth Championship
in Paraguay
where he was the tournament's second top scorer with six goals. During the tournament he played central midfield and helped the team to qualify for the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup
where Chile finished in third place with Vidal scoring two goals in the tournament, including the match winner against Portugal in the Round of 16. Vidal made his senior debut in a friendly against Venezuela
where Chile won 1–0. He became a regular under Marcelo Bielsa
when fit during 2010 World Cup qualifying
, playing in 11 matches and scoring a goal. He was then named in the final 23-man squad for the tournament.
|| 1. || 5 September 2009 || Monumental David Arellano
, Santiago
, Chile || || 1–0 || 2–2 || 2010 WCQ
|-
|| 2. || 17 November 2010 || Monumental David Arellano
, Santiago
, Chile || || 2–0 || 2–0 || Friendly
|-
||3.||4 July 2011||Estadio del Bicentenario
, San Juan, Argentina
|||| 2–1 || 2–1 ||2011 Copa América
|}
|2005
|rowspan=3|Colo-Colo
|rowspan=3|Primera División
|2||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|2006
|13||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|2007
|17||2||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|2007-08
|rowspan=4|Bayer Leverkusen
|rowspan=4|Bundesliga
|24||1||0||0||9||0||33||1
|-
|2008-09
|29||3||6||2||-||-||35||5
|-
|2009-10
|31||1||1||0||-||-||32||1
|-
|2010-11
|33||10||2||1||9||2||44||13
|-
117||15||9||3||18||2||144||20
|-
|2011-12
|rowspan=1|Juventus
|rowspan=1|Serie A
|9||1||0||0||-||-||9||1
|-
9||1||0||0||0||0||9||1
0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
As of 21 November 2011
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an footballer who plays as defensive midfielder for Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
and Chile
Chile national football team
The Chilean national football team represents Chile in all major international football competitions. The team is controlled by the Federación de Fútbol de Chile which was established in 1895. They have appeared in eight World Cup tournaments and were hosts of the 1962 FIFA World Cup finishing in...
. Although usually deployed as a defensive midfielder, Vidal is a versatile box-to-box midfielder capable of playing in a more attacking role as well.
Early life
Vidal was born in San JoaquínSan Joaquín
San Joaquín is a commune of Chile located in Santiago Province, Santiago Metropolitan Region.The alcalde's office and municipal building is located at Ave...
, a working class commune in the capital Santiago
Santiago
Santiago is the capital city of Chile. Santiago may also refer to:*Santiago *Santiago , a Spanish given name*Santiago!, a shortened form of the Reconquista battle cry "Santiago y cierra, España"...
, the second of six children. His potential was discovered by his uncle and he later joined the youth squads of local Primera División giants Colo-Colo
Colo-Colo
Club Social y Deportivo Colo-Colo is a Chilean football club based in the commune of Macul, Santiago. It competes in the Primera División, the top-flight football league in the country, from which they have never been relegated. Their home ground is the Estadio Monumental David Arellano.Colo-Colo...
.
Colo-Colo
Vidal's professional debut came in the first leg of the 2006 Apertura Tournament final. The match was between Colo-ColoColo-Colo
Club Social y Deportivo Colo-Colo is a Chilean football club based in the commune of Macul, Santiago. It competes in the Primera División, the top-flight football league in the country, from which they have never been relegated. Their home ground is the Estadio Monumental David Arellano.Colo-Colo...
and arch rivals Universidad de Chile. Vidal came on as a late substitute for Gonzalo Fierro
Gonzalo Fierro
Gonzalo Antonio Fierro Caniullán is a Chilean footballer. He currently plays as a right winger for the Brazilian club Flamengo. Previously, he had played for Chile's major club Colo-Colo for almost seven seasons...
. Colo-Colo would go on to win the game 2–1 and win the championship as well. In the following season (2006 Clausura Tournament) he became a more important part of the squad and would lead Colo-Colo to their second championship win in a row. Vidal scored three goals in Colo-Colo's Copa Sudamericana 2006
Copa Sudamericana 2006
The 2006 Copa Sudamericana de Clubes, officially the 2006 Copa Nissan Sudamericana de Clubes for sponsorship reasons, was an international football cup competition played annually by clubs of CONMEBOL and invited teams from CONCACAF.-First stage:...
campaign. His good showing caught the eye of scouts from various European clubs.
Bayer Leverkusen
The 2007 Apertura Tournament was Vidal's last with Colo-Colo as he left for Bayer Leverkusen in the summer. Bayer had tracked his progress for some time and his good showing at the U-20 World Cup2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup
The 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup was the sixteenth edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup , hosted by Canada from June 30 to July 22, 2007. Argentina defeated Czech Republic in the title game by the score of 2–1, thus managing a back-to-back world title, its fifth in the past seven editions, and sixth...
that year convinced Bayer's Director of Football Rudi Völler
Rudi Völler
Rudolf 'Rudi' Völler is a German former international football striker, and a former manager of the German national team...
to make the trip all the way to Chile in order to convince the twenty-year-old to sign. The two clubs then agreed on a fee of $11 million with Bayer Leverkusen paying $7.7 million for 70% ownership of his contract. His transfer broke the previous record of Matías Fernández
Matías Fernández
Matías Ariel Fernández Fernández is a Chilean footballer who plays for Sporting Clube de Portugal in Portugal.An attacking midfielder with playmaking and dribbling skills, also being a free-kick specialist, he is known by several nicknames: Mati, El Pelusa and Matigol.Fernández was elected South...
's $9 million transfer to Villarreal.
Vidal missed the first game of the season through injury but was soon thrust into the starting line-up and made his debut on 19 August 2007 in the away loss against Hamburg
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
. He started in half the season's games and scored his first goal for the club just three games into his Bayer career. He was ever present for the 2008–09 season and played a vital role in Bayer's run to the German Cup final. On 8 March, he suffered a concussion during the game against VfL Bochum
VfL Bochum
Verein für Leibesübungen Bochum 1848 Fußballgemeinschaft, commonly referred to as simply VfL Bochum, is a German association football club based in the city of Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia.-Founding to World War II:...
and was out for a month. Upon his return, he scored a goal to break the deadlock in the 4–1 semifinal win over Mainz
1. FSV Mainz 05
1. Fußball- und Sportverein Mainz 05 e. V., usually shortened to 1. FSV Mainz 05, Mainz 05, or simply Mainz, is a 1905 founded German association football club based in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate. In addition to the football section the 1. FSV Mainz 05 has a handball and table tennis department...
in the German Cup but Bayer eventually lost to Werder Bremen
SV Werder Bremen
SV Werder Bremen is a German sports club best known for its association football team playing in Bremen, in the northwest German federal state of the same name. The club was founded on 4 February 1899 as Fußballverein Werder by a group of sixteen vocational high school students who had won a prize...
in the final.
The 2010-11 season would be Vidal's last with Bayer. He helped the club to a runner-up finish in the Bundesliga and topped the assist charts for his club with 11 assists, which was joint second in the league. He also contributed 2 goals in their run to the Round of 16 of the Europa League.
Juventus
After a good 2010-11 season, Vidal was linked with various clubs, including Bayer's Bundesliga rivals Bayern MunichFC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
. On 22 July 2011, he joined Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
giants Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
for €12.5 million on a 5-year contract. He made his competitive debut in the opening league game of the season against Parma
Parma F.C.
Parma Football Club , commonly referred to as just Parma, is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia–Romagna that will compete in Serie A for the 2011–12 season, having finished in twelfth position last season. Founded as Verdi Foot Ball Club in July 1913, the club changed its...
, coming on as a second-half substitute for Alessandro Del Piero
Alessandro Del Piero
Alessandro Del Piero Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Serie A club Juventus, of which he is also club captain....
; he marked his first appearance with a goal six minutes after his introduction in Juventus' 4–1 win. He has since become an integral part of Antonio Conte
Antonio Conte
Antonio Conte is an Italian former footballer and manager. He is the current manager of Juventus.-Playing career:...
's midfield alongside Italy internationals Andrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo, Ufficiale OMRI , is an Italian World Cup winning footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus, and for the Italian national team. He is usually deployed as a deep-lying playmaker for both Juventus and Italy and is regarded as one of best players in this position...
and Claudio Marchisio
Claudio Marchisio
Claudio Marchisio is an Italian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Juventus and the Italian national team. A product of the Juventus youth system, he has spent his whole career thus far at his hometown club, with the exception of a season-long loan spell at Empoli...
.
International career
Vidal represented ChileChile national football team
The Chilean national football team represents Chile in all major international football competitions. The team is controlled by the Federación de Fútbol de Chile which was established in 1895. They have appeared in eight World Cup tournaments and were hosts of the 1962 FIFA World Cup finishing in...
at the Under-20 level at the 2007 South American Youth Championship
2007 South American Youth Championship
The 2007 South American Youth Championship is a football competition contested by all ten U-20 national football teams of CONMEBOL. The tournament was held in Paraguay between January 7 and January 28, 2007, it was the 23rd time the competition has been held and the 4th to take place in Paraguay...
in Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
where he was the tournament's second top scorer with six goals. During the tournament he played central midfield and helped the team to qualify for the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup
2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup
The 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup was the sixteenth edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup , hosted by Canada from June 30 to July 22, 2007. Argentina defeated Czech Republic in the title game by the score of 2–1, thus managing a back-to-back world title, its fifth in the past seven editions, and sixth...
where Chile finished in third place with Vidal scoring two goals in the tournament, including the match winner against Portugal in the Round of 16. Vidal made his senior debut in a friendly against Venezuela
Venezuela national football team
The Venezuela national football team is the national football team of Venezuela and is controlled by the Federación Venezolana de Fútbol. It is nicknamed La Vinotinto , because of the traditional burgundy color of their shirts....
where Chile won 1–0. He became a regular under Marcelo Bielsa
Marcelo Bielsa
Marcelo Alberto Bielsa Caldera is an Argentine association football coach and former defender, born in Rosario, Santa Fe...
when fit during 2010 World Cup qualifying
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)
The South American zone of 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification saw 10 teams competing for places in the finals which were held in South Africa. The format is identical to that used for the previous three World Cup qualification tournaments held by CONMEBOL...
, playing in 11 matches and scoring a goal. He was then named in the final 23-man squad for the tournament.
International goals
|-|| 1. || 5 September 2009 || Monumental David Arellano
Estadio Monumental David Arellano
Estadio Monumental is a football stadium in Santiago, Chile. Completed in 1989, the stadium has a current spectator capacity of 45,000. Originally, the stadium could hold up to 65,000 spectators but that was dramatically reduced for security reasons...
, Santiago
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
, Chile || || 1–0 || 2–2 || 2010 WCQ
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)
The South American zone of 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification saw 10 teams competing for places in the finals which were held in South Africa. The format is identical to that used for the previous three World Cup qualification tournaments held by CONMEBOL...
|-
|| 2. || 17 November 2010 || Monumental David Arellano
Estadio Monumental David Arellano
Estadio Monumental is a football stadium in Santiago, Chile. Completed in 1989, the stadium has a current spectator capacity of 45,000. Originally, the stadium could hold up to 65,000 spectators but that was dramatically reduced for security reasons...
, Santiago
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
, Chile || || 2–0 || 2–0 || Friendly
|-
||3.||4 July 2011||Estadio del Bicentenario
Estadio del Bicentenario
Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario is a multi-use stadium in San Juan, Argentina. It is used mostly for football matches and hosts the homes matches of San Martín de San Juan as well as matches for the 2011 Copa América...
, San Juan, Argentina
San Juan, Argentina
San Juan is the capital city of the Argentine province of San Juan in the Cuyo region, located in the Tulúm Valley, west of the San Juan River, at above mean sea level, with a population of around 112,000 as per the ....
|||| 2–1 || 2–1 ||2011 Copa América
2011 Copa América
The 2011 Campeonato Sudamericano Copa América, better known as the 2011 Copa América or the Copa América Argentina 2011, was the 43rd edition of the Copa América, the main international football tournament for national teams in South America...
|}
Honours
| Season | Club | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Apertura 2006 | Colo-Colo Colo-Colo Club Social y Deportivo Colo-Colo is a Chilean football club based in the commune of Macul, Santiago. It competes in the Primera División, the top-flight football league in the country, from which they have never been relegated. Their home ground is the Estadio Monumental David Arellano.Colo-Colo... |
Primera Division Chile Liga Chilena de Fútbol: Primera División The Primera División del Fútbol Profesional Chileno is the top level of Chilean football, and main component of the Chilean football league system. It is organized by the Asociación Nacional de Fútbol Profesional and is currently ranked 9th in the IFFHS' Best Leagues of the World ranking... Champion |
| Clausura 2006 | Colo-Colo | Primera Division Chile Champion |
| Apertura 2007 | Colo-Colo | Primera Division Chile Champion |
Career statistics
|-|2005
|rowspan=3|Colo-Colo
Colo-Colo
Club Social y Deportivo Colo-Colo is a Chilean football club based in the commune of Macul, Santiago. It competes in the Primera División, the top-flight football league in the country, from which they have never been relegated. Their home ground is the Estadio Monumental David Arellano.Colo-Colo...
|rowspan=3|Primera División
|2||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|2006
|13||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|2007
|17||2||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|2007-08
|rowspan=4|Bayer Leverkusen
|rowspan=4|Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
|24||1||0||0||9||0||33||1
|-
|2008-09
|29||3||6||2||-||-||35||5
|-
|2009-10
2009–10 Fußball-Bundesliga
The 2009–10 Fußball-Bundesliga was the 47th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season commenced on 7 August 2009 with the traditional season opening match involving the defending champions VfL Wolfsburg and VfB Stuttgart. The last games were played on 8 May 2010...
|31||1||1||0||-||-||32||1
|-
|2010-11
2010–11 Fußball-Bundesliga
The 2010–11 Fußball-Bundesliga was the 48th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season started on the weekend of 21 August 2010 with the traditional season opening match involving the defending champions and ended with the last games on 14 May 2011. The winter...
|33||10||2||1||9||2||44||13
|-
117||15||9||3||18||2||144||20
|-
|2011-12
|rowspan=1|Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
|rowspan=1|Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
|9||1||0||0||-||-||9||1
|-
9||1||0||0||0||0||9||1
0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
As of 21 November 2011