The selector of Chile, Ricardo Garecagave in today to the popular clamor in Chile and agreed to summon the Colo Colo midfielder Arturo Vidala reference of the ‘Golden Generation’, for the crucial date of the qualifying rounds for the 2026 World Cup, in which Chile will rush its last options against Peru and Venezuela.
Vidalwho on Sunday was proclaimed league champion with “el cacique” and who has had a very irregular season, is facing Garecawhom he criticized extremely harshly in the previous matches and who has had no qualms about publicly reproaching him for not calling him and other active players from the generation that won the America’s Cup in 2015 and 2016.
Since then, the provision of Chili has been a succession of failures, not even qualifying for the Russia World Cup 2018 nor Qatar 2022, nor achieve good results in the following America’s Cup.
Currently, they close the South American qualifying group for the next World Cup, with just five points, very far from the direct access positions and even the playoffs.
Vidal, who was called up on Friday due to an injury to the Huracán midfielder (Argentina) Williams Alarconhad even announced that he would not wear “la Roja” as long as Gareca continued to lead the national team.
Despite the Colocolino’s attacks, the Argentine coach stayed away from a discussion with the footballer and stated at the time that all the players were still an option to integrate future rosters.
The Chilean team faces the last double date of the year against Peru visiting, on Friday the 15th, and Venezuela at home, on Tuesday the 19th, as its last opportunity to score points after losing to Argentina and Bolivia in September, and Brazil and Colombia in October .
The former Barcelona, Inter and Bayern Munich player will wear La Roja again at the age of 37, after not having been part of the team in the last Copa América in the United States, nor in the four qualifying matches that Gareca has coached.
Vidal’s last call-up had been in September 2023, when Chile was led by the Argentine Eduardo Berizzo and the midfielder played for the Brazilian Athletico Paranaense.
On that double date, he injured his right knee in the match against Colombia, for which he had to undergo surgery and his recovery took several months, although in the middle he returned to the Chilean league to play with Colo Colo, after a 17-year international career.
With the albos he emerged as the greatest reference for the club, which was the protagonist of the Copa Libertadores this year, returning to play in the quarterfinals after six years, and achieving the 34th title of the ‘Cacique’ in Chile, and for them, since Months ago, fans and journalists demanded his return to the national team.
Read also
“It’s a dream, really. I may have won a lot, but there is nothing like this. Coming home, at 37 years old and being champion, just say thank you,” Vidal said after being crowned.
The loss of midfielder Williams Alarcón from the Argentine Huracán opened the door for the return of the ‘King’, news that the president of Colo Colo Aníbal Mosa had announced on Sunday night in the midst of the celebrations.
The mission now is to keep alive the hopes of qualifying for the World Cup with Chile that is seven points away from seventh place, the last place that gives access to the playoffs and which is in the hands of Bolivia.
For its part, Alarcón’s loss has also generated a conflict, since the player played a few minutes with his club this weekend, which is why the Chilean football federation is considering reporting the situation to FIFA.
