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Arturo Vidal is the kind of player that always wants to be on the field. So, being a benchwarmer on a star-studded Flamengo team is starting to rot his veins. That was more than evident on Wednesday night when, after learning he would not be subbing in, Vidal threw a tantrum that has now him at a crossroads with Flamengo's fans and the media.
Vidal's meltdown occurred seconds after coach Vitor Pereira decided on his last subs for the game against Boavista in the Campeonato Carioca. The Chilean noticed he would not be coming on and walked to the bench fuming. Once he sat down, Vidal threw his cleats away while his teammates were looking at him flabbergasted.
The whole sequence was captured on TV and became the main story of Flamengo's 1-0 victory over Boavista.
Arturo Vidal tantrum at Flamengo
Arturo Vidal pistolou... pic.twitter.com/eHuZvCBxqY
— Raisa Simplicio (@simpraisa) February 2, 2023
"The discontent of one or the other player is something natural because we have to make decisions based on what we analyze and the idea we have of the players who can most help the team right now," said Pereira at the end of the game. "We have to put the team and the club above all personal ambitions."
Everton Ribeiro, who you can see next to Vidal in the video, was also surprised by the Chilean's reaction.
"It was a surprise because Vidal is a key part of the squad and it was not the best time for this type of reaction because it can generate mistrust, but people know the player he is and I don't see a big problem." he said. "Nobody is bigger than Flamengo and both (Pereira and Vidal) are always thinking about winning the championship."
Fans were not happy with Vidal's tantrum. And they were even less thrilled when they discovered that hours before the game, Vidal did a live Twitch stream in which he offered himself to Chilean giant Colo Colo — his youth club — to play in the Copa Libertadores.
Si Colo Colo quiere pelear la Copa Libertadores, que me venga a buscar al tiro nomás y vamos
- Arturo Vidal#VamosColoColo pic.twitter.com/pcHueSMaXw— Chilean Premier League (@AbranCancha8) February 1, 2023
The media was also not impressed with the midfielder's outburst and asked Pereira to exclude Vidal from the list of Flamengo players traveling to the Club World Cup next week.
What did Vidal have to say about all this? One sleep after, the player apologized on his social media platforms.
View this post on Instagram
"First, I want to apologize for my reaction after not coming into the game yesterday. I must clarify that I always love to be part of the game throughout my career, but I also know that my temper sometimes gets the best of me," Vidal wrote. "But I have come to Flamengo to be happy and be part of their story. My skills are to help my teammates and make the Mengão the biggest of all. I'll keep fighting to be here and never give up because that's who I am: A warrior."
