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New Bayern Munich signing Arturo Vidal has some harsh parting words for Juventus
Maybe the Chile international’s relationship with his old club wasn’t as good as it looked, based on what he had to say after leaving.
Arturo Vidal just finalized his transfer to Bayern Munich on Tuesday, putting pen to paper on a lucrative five-year contract. Now, this isn't his first big club that he's been a part of -- he's coming off four years at Juventus, arguably the most successful Italian team in history, where he helped the Old Lady win four straight Serie A titles and reached the Champions League final just last season. But to hear Vidal tell it, he may as well have been with Parma, saying he was moving to a "big club" -- Juventus aren't? -- and talked as though he'd never won a thing in his career:
I'm very happy. I want to help the team and win trophies. It's a dream come true for me personally.
I wanted to take another big step forward in my career. I want to keep developing as a player and win important trophies like the Champions League. I think the best opportunity to do so is with Bayern.
- Source: ESPN FC
To so utterly dismiss Juventus’ status and accomplishments like that is incredibly harsh, especially since it was those very accomplishments that put such a huge spotlight on Vidal’s talents and individual achievements.
Needless to say, Juventus fans aren’t too happy about this.
In the news
Michel Platini is set to stand for the FIFA presidential election in February. (Sky Sports)
Filipe Luis has signed for Atletico Madrid again after a year at Chelsea. (Guardian)
Remember Edinson Cavani attacking Gonzalo Jara at the Copa America when Jara got a little, uh, fresh with him? Cavani picked up a two-match ban for Uruguay’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers. (Pro Soccer Talk)
You should be reading
Sporting Clube de Portugal want to make it very, very clear that their name is Sporting Club de Portugal, not Sporting Lisbon as they’re so often known. (SCdP Twitter)
Paul Hayward thinks that England manager Roy Hodgson deserves more respect from the FA. (Telegraph)
Marcos Lopez believes that when it comes to Real Madrid’s successes, it’s all about James Rodriguez. (Marca)
Fun with transfer rumors
The section in which nothing should be taken seriously. It’s rumor season, so this section will be expanded, and as the summer rolls on, it will probably be bigger than the actual news section.
Dimitar Berbatov looks set to join Aston Villa on a free transfer. (Express)
Tottenham Hotspur outcast Vlad Chiriches is in Italy for a medical ahead of a transfer to Napoli. (Football Italia)
Laurent Blanc seems pretty sure that Paris Saint-Germain are about to sign Angel Di Maria. (ESPN FC)
Marco Reus is flattered by Liverpool’s and Arsenal’s interest, but he intends to stay put at Borussia Dortmund. (Fox Sports)
What happened in Tuesday’s matches
Chelsea beat Barcelona on penalties after a 2-2 draw in regulation, a match that included this Eden Hazard gem. (We Ain’t Got No History)
Robin Van Persie made his Fenerbahce debut as the Turkish side was held to a 0-0 draw by Shakhtar Donetsk in Champions League qualifying. (Mail)
What to watch on Wednesday (click for listings, all times ET)
There’s another slate of Champions League qualifiers starting at noon, with Scottish giants Celtic kicking off at 2:45.
ICC: Manchester United vs. Paris Saint-Germain (9 p.m.) -- Zlatan Ibrahimovic finally gets the fight he’s long wanted against his former manager, current Manchester boss Louis Van Gaal.
The MLS All-Star Game is tonight, with MLS’ best squaring off against Tottenham Hotspur at 9 p.m.
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