Vidal arrives at Barca aiming to ‘win all the trophies available’
Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal has said he is aiming to win the Uefa Champions League in all three years of his time at Barcelona after completing his move to the Primera Liga champions yesterday.
Vidal, 31, signed a threeyear contract after Barca agreed a reported €21 million (Dh89.1m) fee with Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.
Vidal has won seven successive league titles – four in Italy with Juventus and three in Germany with Bayern – but he is yet to get his hands on the European Cup having lost in the 2015 final with Juve against Barca’s bitter rivals Real Madrid.
“I don’t have accounts to settle with anybody, just my objective, which is to win the Champions League, not settle scores with Real Madrid,” Vidal said at his first official press conference. “I hope to win three Champions Leagues in the three years I will be here.”
Vidal, who has made 100 appearances for Chile, said he was “very happy to be joining the best team in the world” and insisted he is stepping up another level in his career.
“To arrive at Barcelona is a much bigger step than Bayern,” Vidal said. “I hope to be an addition who can help to win all the titles. With the confidence that the people have given me, I want to win it all.
“At 15, I promised my mother I would be one of the best. I’ve played for a lot of teams and now I’m arriving at the best in the world.”
Vidal has vowed to bring his all-action approach to the Camp Nou and is looking forward to linking up with this teammates, including Lionel Messi. “I’ve come here to bring a lot of energy onto the pitch,” he said. “A lot of fight, lots of passion ... and making sure the team always wins.
“During the three-years, I hope we can win everything we play for. It is a dream. I hope to achieve my objectives. I am here to win all the trophies available and I will give everything on the pitch to achieve this. I am excited to play with Messi, [Luis] Suarez, Sergio Busquets … they are all great players.”
Barcelona technical secretary Eric Abidal believes Vidal will add a new dimension to the team for the upcoming season.
“He is a player with character, who gives balance on the pitch as well as providing goals and chances,” said Abidal, who spent six years as a Barca player, winning four Primera Liga titles and two Champions Leagues.
Vidal is Barcelona’s fourth first-team signing this summer, following the arrivals of Brazilians Malcom and Arthur from Bordeaux and Gremio respectively, and French defender Clement Lenglet from Sevilla.
I hope to win three Champions Leagues in the three years I’m here. This is a much bigger step than Bayern ARTURO VIDAL