Former Barcelona midfielder Arturo Vidal has launched a sensational attack on Real Madrid, suggesting that the introduction of the VAR system was specifically designed to curb what he says are alleged refereeing bias towards the Spanish giants.
The Chilean, known for his combative style and direct nature, has an early rivalry with Los Blancos, dating back to sensational clashes in the Champions League.
During an appearance on the podcast “Enfocados”, the 38-year-old was asked about his history with the 15-time European champions. Vidal did not hold back, recalling episodes from his time in Germany and Spain.
“Yes, I felt robbed by Real Madrid. In two matches with Bayern Munich in the Champions League, in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, when they eliminated us.”
Vidal directly linked the technological advancement to his personal experiences against the Madrid club, making a claim that is expected to cause strong reactions in Madrid.
Continuing his statements on the podcast, the former Juventus player claimed that the system exists precisely because of Real Madrid.
“VAR was introduced because of Real Madrid. Before that there was just a lot of cheating. That’s why they invented VAR, so they wouldn’t steal anymore,” he concluded.
The roots of this fierce rivalry go back to the 2016/17 Champions League season, when Bayern were eliminated in a controversial match.
In the second leg of the quarter-final at the Santiago Bernabeu, Vidal was sent off in the 84th minute after receiving his second yellow card, even though he appeared to have clearly won the ball in a duel with Marco Asensio.
This decision proved fatal for Bayern, who eventually lost 4-2 (6-3 on aggregate) after extra time, with Cristiano Ronaldo benefiting from several questionable decisions that evening.