Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal, a reference for the ‘Golden Generation’, two-time champion of America, assured this Tuesday that Ricardo Gareca’s call to many young people in La Roja to face Brazil and Colombia for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers is “throwing away these Qualifiers.”
“There is not a single one who has had experience. I’m happy for the younger ones, the national team is a dream, but you have to know when. If you want to project and throw these Qualifiers in the trash, fine, try, but there are still chances of going to the World Cup,” the midfielder stated at a press conference.
The Colo Colo player spoke to the media ahead of the classic against Universidad Católica on Thursday in the Chilean league and, when asked about his absence from the squad, he replied: “Are you surprised that I’m not there?”
“Even if I am not well in football, I, ‘el Huaso’ (Mauricio Isla), Charles (Aránguiz) or Marcelo (Díaz), all those who are active, have to be there because the national team needs it. There is a coach who has another process, but you don’t say it. “You can’t face Brazil with just any player,” he added.
The ‘King’ questioned the media about waiting for him to speak about the moment the Chilean team is going through: “I knew they were going to ask me, but I would like the journalists to get a little wet, because if I say What I think, they kill me.”
“You are risking being left out of another World Cup. How are you going to go against Brazil without big players? How can ‘el Huaso’ not be there, if he was the last captain? “You let it go, you expect me to speak on Twitter or Instagram,” he alleged.
Then, he directly referred to his absence in La Roja, confirming: “Yes, I am out. I was left out of the Copa América while I was fine and now why?” he asked and continued: “Is there anyone better than me in my position, who has the experience of facing Brazil or the same games? The selection is wrong and everyone knows it.”
The soccer player analyzed the situation of Chile, which is ninth with five points, out of World Cup qualification, and has just lost to Argentina and Bolivia in September.
“What can we expect? I hope we get a point, which would be wonderful, but that’s scary. “I say things as I feel them, I could speak differently, but it is very difficult to get a point in these two games,” he added.
Vidal, who was not summoned by Gareca for the Copa América or for the previous date of the qualifiers, contributed more to his confrontation with the Argentine coach who questioned the decisions made.
“I don’t see the direction of the national team when you face two of the strongest teams in the world. “Colombia that hasn’t lost in more than 30 games, I don’t know, and Brazil that wakes up on the right foot and can score four or five goals,” he said.
The former Spanish Barcelona player commented that the ‘Golden Generation’ suffered against those rivals. “We suffer it, imagine now,” and added: “Brazil has always won here and Colombia there is always hell,” in reference to the games they will play at home in Santiago and away in Barranquilla.
Finally, Vidal referred to the controversy unleashed by Gareca, who in the conference where he announced those mentioned mentioned that there was a player who had not responded to the call, but did not offer more details. It would be an episode when he first took office.
“The only one who didn’t answer him was Charles, all the rest of us answered him. I spoke with him for five minutes, I didn’t speak more. He can’t make that excuse now because he said it the first time, that it was because of a problem Charles had. “Why don’t you say the name, if it’s so easy?” he said.
Vidal asserted that “no one can refuse the national team” and that Gareca after the first conversation “never called me, nor did he ever speak to me again,” but he did not rule out returning to La Roja in another process later and is in a position to contribute.
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