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Ties and Ties: Arturo Vidal meets Andrea Pirlo as an opponent
In 2011 Arturo Vidal and Andrea Pirlo started the Juventus championship streak.
Now the Chilean has joined the revered mentor at Inter to try to interrupt that streak, at the expense of his good friend who has been appointed coach at Turin.
The Italian derby will be very special for them
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Andrea Pirlo
Arturo Vidal
Juventus
Inter
Michael Yochin
Friday, January 15, 2021, 6:30 p.m.
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Unite as rivals.
Vidal and Pirlo on other days (Photo: AP, Felice Calabro)
"It's wonderful that Andrea Pirlo was appointed coach of Juventus. He was an amazing player, so you can only imagine what an amazing coach he will be. Very few had a game vision like his, and he is also a great person. We spent four years together, and won four championships. If he calls me And he called me, I will be happy, "Arturo Vidal said on August 30.
Quite amusingly, a leading Chilean newspaper reported as early as August 21 that Pirlo had picked up the phone to his good friend.
And not only was Pirlo on the line reportedly, but also Gianluigi Buffon.
Both allegedly tried to persuade Vidal to close the circle and return to Turin.
Was or was not?
As long as there is no confirmation from those involved it is impossible to know, but it is clear that the assessment between Vidal and Pirlo is mutual.
They were the beating heart in the old lady's midfield and complemented each other wonderfully, first with Claudio Marquisio and then with Paul Pogba.
Pirlo was the artist and architect, Vidal was the engine that also extracted the bullets for him, and also provided an immediate address for his dedication.
This combination made Juventus' link one of the best in the world, and helped start the dynasty which continues to this day.
When Vidal and Pirlo arrived at Yuba's new stadium, she finished twice in a row in seventh place and still licked the Calcupoli wounds.
With them, the drought is over, and the series of championships continues to this day, even though they left together in 2015.
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A matter of determination: Andrea Pirlo explains the improvement of Juventus
To the full article
Wants Conte by his side.
Vidal (Photo: AP)
Conte's soul mate
So yes, it was tempting for Vidal to go “home” and create a whole new collaboration with Pirlo to march Juventus to a consecutive tenth title, but there was an even more attractive alternative.
She has even been on the agenda for a long time, since Antonio Conte chose to cross the lines and sign for Inter in the summer of 2019. Because with all due respect to the nostalgia and great memories of Turin, nothing comes close to the close relationship formed with the coach.
"If you have to pick one player to go to war with, it's Vidal," Conte once said.
"If I have to go to war, I want Conte by my side," Vidal once said.
They are coordinated.
They are also quite similar.
When Conte arrived at Juventus that fateful summer 2011, there were very big doubts about his ability to put Pirlo in his tactical frame.
The maestro who was attached in a free transfer after being thrown out of Milan was not really there at his request.
In contrast, Vidal put Conte at the top of the shopping list.
He also personally spent long hours trying to persuade the Chilean to break the word he had already given to Bayern Munich.
Perhaps Hans and Karl-Heinz Romaniga defined him as a deceiver and a traitor, but Vidal did not regret it for a moment.
For just € 10 million, the old lady received a formidable multicolored star, and the relationship itself received the perfect mentor.
For the sake of the connection with Conte, he even gave up the union with Joop Hinks who deeply influenced him in Leverkusen.
Conte saw in Vidal himself, only more talented.
As a warrior who ran from field to field, he gave countless helpful tips to his apprentice.
"He helped me upgrade," Vidal said, and three years with the Italian boss were the best and most fruitful of his career.
Conte's resignation led him into the arms of Bayern a year later, and he never ruled out the possibility of reunification.
When Conte arrived at Chelsea, reports of his desire to bring in the Chilean were immediately circulated, and Arturo expressed great interest.
It did not work out then, but the project at Inter intrigued him greatly, while he received quite a bit of criticism in the Catalan media during the controversial term in Barcelona.
Conte saw in Vidal himself, only more talented (Photo: AP, Massimo Pinca)
The long-awaited union with Alexis
Ernesto Valverda was actually pleased with him, but the dismissal of the coach a year ago immediately opened the way for speculation.
Inter wanted him in the January 2020 transfer window, but the price tag set by Barça's management was too high.
It is amazing to think that a little over half a year later, Vidal came to San Siro almost free of charge, for a million euros, as part of the cleaning of the stables initiated by President Joseph Bartomeu shortly before his removal.
But even without knowing the price, Ivan Samurano, a former Inter star, predicted that his compatriot would wear black and blue.
"I believe there will be two more Chileans there soon," he declared in February.
After all, this also has enormous significance in the selection, because Alexis Sanchez is one of Vidal's closest friends on the team.
Arturo has a not-so-simple character, and he knew many conflicts, but with Alexis he always had a common language, even from their common days in his voice.
Once upon a time, somewhere in 2006, Sanchez was signed by Udinese and was immediately loaned to Kolo Kolo, where Vidal had already played.
They found a common language, won two championships within a year, and for dessert excelled together in the World Cup until the age of 20. The extremist continued from there to River Plate and then to Italy, the connection began his European career in Germany, but the connection only grew stronger in the national team uniform.
In national uniform they became leaders of a mighty generation, leading Chile to the two individual Copa America wins in 2015 and 2016, and holding more than 100 games together.
So they were also excited to see each other as rivals in European factories when the lottery summoned such meetings.
In April 2019, for example, before the clash between Barcelona and Manchester United, Vidal wrote: "We have been together for 15 years. For a decade we have been competing and representing the best teams in the world. My brother, I am happy to see that everything is good with you."
However, not everything was good for Alexis at the time.
His move to the Red Devils turned out to be a resounding fiasco, and he also saw the encounters against Blaugrana mostly from the bench.
A few months later, he was already in Milan, trying to recover after the crash.
It does not go easy, but at least in the summer the free transfer was completed, and a three-year contract was signed.
Conte believes in him, and the addition of a close friend was also supposed to be a kind of incentive.
Not going smooth, but rest assured he will not give up.
Vidal (Photo: Reuters)
The drought broke at the right time
The longing to play together in a team has always been there.
Being a Bayern player, for example, Vidal tried to arrange Sanchez's move to Munich, and it was not unreasonable that Pep Guardiola knew him well.
Now that both are at the end of their careers, on the wrong side of age 30, it's happening - and Vidal's choice was easier because of that.
When Ronald Koeman, like Luis Suarez, informed him that he was not in the plans at the Camp Nou, the Chilean was not as hurt as the Uruguayan.
"I enjoyed playing for two years at Barcelona, but things have changed, and it's time to embark on a new path," he said after interrupting the winning streak of eight championships in three different leagues.
Now his goal is clear - to return the crown to his head and become a champion again.
On the way, he has to interrupt the sequence of Yuba that he started himself.
He came with quite a few doubts, when it is clear that his greatest days are already far behind him, but Conte is determined to build the link around him.
Vidal is usually in the squad, even if his performances do not always meet expectations.
In the game against Crotone, in which the Chilean caused Pendel an awkward offense, the coach also lost patience and replaced him at the break, declaring: "Arturo needs to work harder, to prove he needs to play. At the moment he is unstable, and we can not allow that at Inter. ".
So Vidal Sopsal against Sampdoria, but the team lost without him, and against Roma last week he was already back in the picture.
To fans who noted that he is still looking for a gate or cooking in the new uniform, the star replied on Instagram: "Wait for the first gate to arrive, followed by another 10."
So the first came on Wednesday, albeit on a penalty - but the fact that the coach ordered him to make the kick underscores how vital it was.
Vidal was one of the best on the pitch while Inter ousted Fiorentina in extra time, and he arrives for the intriguing encounter against the ex in a more upbeat mood.
In the Juventus uniform, his balance in the Italian derby was excellent.
In seven games he contributed three conquests and two touchdowns, winning four times and tasting only a single loss.
In all these encounters, however, Pirlo was by his side.
He is now against it, even if his intentions in August were different.
This is an extraordinary turn, and it makes the charged battle even more special.
Which of them will be a champion at the end of this season?
And there is also a third option - none.
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Italian League 2020/21
Group
Mash
Netz
A.
Hp
Gates
Nk
1
Milan
17
12
4
1
19-37
40
2
Inter
17
11
4
2
23-43
37
3
Rome
17
10
4
3
26-37
34
4
Juventus
16
9
6
1
16-35
33
5
Naples
16
10
1
5
16-34
31
6
Atlanta
16
9
4
3
22-40
31
7
Sesotho
17
8
5
4
26-30
29
8
Lazio
17
8
4
5
25-27
28
9
Verona
17
7
6
4
16-22
27
10
In Nevento
17
6
3
8
30-20
21
11
Sampdoria
17
6
2
9
28-26
20
12
Fiorentina
17
4
6
7
23-18
18
13
Bologna
17
4
5
8
31-23
17
14
Specia
17
4
5
8
32-23
17
15
Udinese
16
4
4
8
25-18
16
16
Cagliari
17
3
5
9
34-23
14
17
Genoa
17
3
5
9
30-18
14
18
Turin
17
2
6
9
35-26
12
19
Pharma
17
2
6
9
33-13
12
20
Crotone
17
2
3
12
40-17
9
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