After Flamengo's elimination from the FIFA Club World Cup at the hands of Al-Hilal on Tuesday, former Barcelona player Arturo Vidal had to eat his words of caution directed towards Real Madrid. Here, find out what he had said of the La Liga winners earlier.
As a result of Tuesday's 3-2 loss against Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia, Copa Libertadores winners Flamengo were eliminated from the 2022 Club World Cup. Despite Flamengo's best efforts, Al Hilal came out on top thanks to two penalties from Salem Al Dawsari and another from Luciano Vietto.
Pedro had tied the game for the Brazilian side, and then, just before halftime, Gerson handed up a penalty that led to his team's defeat. With the victory, Al-Hilal became the first Saudi team to go to the Final of the FIFA Club World Cup.
In addition to eliminating the Rubro-Negro in the Semi-Finals, they won on penalties against Wydad Casablanca in the Quarter-Finals. Arturo Vidal, a former player for Barcelona, must feel the pain of this defeat a bit more keenly than his current Flamengo teammates.
What did Arturo Vidal say about Real Madrid prior to the FIFA Club World Cup?
Arturo Vidal has long been an outspoken critic of Real Madrid, and he has stoked tensions before and after several of his games against Los Blancos by making controversial statements. After being sent off for Bayern in the UEFA Champions League Semi-Finals against Real Madrid, the Chilean midfielder has held a great animosity toward the Spanish side, a hatred that followed him to Barcelona.
During his two years at the Camp Nou, he won La Liga and the Supercopa de Espana. He subsequently moved on to Serie A club Inter and finally Flamengo. The Chilean veteran has had mixed results versus the reigning La Liga winners, winning four games, drawing four more, and losing eight overall.
Due to their loss to Al-Hilal, Vidal's Flamengo will not be meeting Real Madrid in the grand Final this coming weekend. As early as October, amid the Libertadores festivities, the 35-year-old veteran said, "Madrid, we’re going to kick your ass" and "Your [Madrid's] turn will come."
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