The emergence of Arturo Vidal at Barcelona

Arturo Vidal is not your average footballer. Throughout his career, the Chilean midfielder has been lauded as a strong, brave athlete who has an all-or-nothing approach to the game of football. For Vidal, nothing but victory suffices.

Vidal began his career in relative anonymity at his hometown club Colo-Colo before embarking in his Bundesliga journey with Bayer Leverkusen. Arturo Vidal's adoring fans have coined him suitable soubriquets - Il Guerriro (The Warrior), Rey Arturo (King Arturo) among others, as a mark of tribute to his hard work and tenacity on the football pitch.

Arturo Vidal’s resume is the envy of most footballers. It is a steady upward curve in a career spanning more than a decade and a half that has seen him play for Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus, Bayern Munich and now Barcelona. Throughout his time at all these clubs, Arturo Vidal has left an impression, sometimes literally, on his fellow players and coaches.

The Chilean is one of the few players to have won the title in every league he has played in. Arturo Vidal has won three Chilean Primera Division titles, four Serie A titles with Juventus, three Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich and the 2018-19 La Liga with Barcelona.

However, the Champions League has proved elusive trophy for the much travelled Arturo Vidal who has not managed to lay his hands on the much-coveted Big Ears. In this regard, Arturo Vidal came close with Massimiliano Allegri’s Juventus in 2015 but had to taste defeat in Berlin against his current employers Barcelona.

Arturo Vidal has also found success in international football. He played a significant role in Chile winning back-to-back Copas America titles in 2015 and 2016.

Arturo Vidal's array of skills go beyond his hard-working, tenacious nature

Arturo Vidal's wide range of passing skills and ball distribution often go unnoticed due to his robust demeanour.

When Arturo Vidal arrived at Barcelona, both the Chilean player and the Blaugrana club did not have an inkling as to how he would fit into the squad. This was not due to Arturo Vidal’s supposed lack of quality; on the contrary, his qualities were there for all to see.

Throughout his career, Arturo Vidal has been described as a hard-working, sometimes over-enthusiastic, tenacious player. His strong, robust external demeanour, tattooed arms and flamboyant hairstyle also impacts his current image. Such stereotypes were strengthened when Arturo Vidal’s tackle on Marco Asensio saw him being sent off against Real Madrid in a crucial semi-final tie in the 2016-17 UEFA Champions League.

However, it is not always acknowledged that Arturo Vidal also possesses a tremendous amount of technical ability. He can win the ball back from his opponents and can distribute it to his teammates just as well. Arturo Vidal's ball skills, coupled with his physical strength, makes him a formidable opponent and a valuable player for any team.

According to Whoscored.com, Arturo Vidal is ‘very strong’ in the passing department while his key passes are described as ‘strong’. The Chilean also manages to keep his concentration throughout a game; all vital attributes if one aspires to succeed at top-level football.

It is therefore unsurprising that Arturo Vidal has played for elite teams throughout his illustrious career and continues to be a part of one such team. He has always contributed positively for all the teams he has played for. It is also worth mentioning that without such skills, a player cannot thrive for long in the midfield of a top European club.

So when Barcelona brought in Arturo Vidal, questions were asked if he was the right fit for the club. As mentioned above, there is a tendency to view Arturo Vidal simply as a muscular presence in midfield while his commendable ball skills are completely ignored during these discussions.

The transfer of Arturo Vidal to Barcelona was compared to the club's signing of the 29-year old Brazilian, Paulinho, who surprised many critics by having a very successful solitary season at the Nou Camp. Till date, Arturo Vidal’s 10 goals in 54 appearances for Barcelona have come in crucial moments like a 5-1 victory in the El-Clasico and a goal within sixty five seconds against RCD Mallorca following the resumption of La Liga after the COVID-19 outbreak.

Lionel Messi’s growing influence at Barcelona and duopoly of power with Luis Suarez

Lionel Messi's influence in the Barcelona dressing room has increased over the years.

Lionel Messi has always enjoyed a prominent position at FC Barcelona. Since he broke into the scene in the 2005-06 season, Messi has always been loved by fans and teammates alike. In recent years, as his achievements and profile have soared his profile into legendary realms, the six-time Ballon d’Or winner has had a considerable amount of influence in the Blaugrana dressing room.

Rumours of Messi enjoying such powers did the rounds in 2013 when it was alleged that the Messi family played a crucial role in the appointment of his compatriot Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino as the Barcelona manager. Later, Martino himself agreed to these rumours, believing that a reference from Lionel Messi indeed played a key role in him landing the Barcelona job.

Gerardo Martino's one-season stint as Barcelona manager was largely unsuccessful, one in which he failed to win any major trophies for the La Liga giant..

Martino’s time at the Nou Camp, however, proved to be unsuccessful as he finished without winning either the La Liga or the Copa del Rey title in 2013-14 season. His team was also knocked out of the Champions League by Atletico Madrid, to whom Barcelona also conceded the La Liga title on the last day of that season. Martino resigned but Messi continued to be an influential member of the dressing room.

When Luis Suarez came in from Liverpool in the summer of 2014 for a reported fee of € 82.3 million, he struck a quick friendship with his fellow South Americans Messi and Neymar Junior, who had arrived a summer earlier from the Brazilian club Santos. Their relationship only strengthened with time as they forged the most formidable attacking trident in football history. The pinnacle of their glory came in 2015 when Barcelona won their fifth Champions League title. However, Barcelona have not managed to win the competition again since.

Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez have become a combined source of power for FC Barcelona, not only on the pitch but also in the dressing room.

However, since the departure of Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, the relationship between Messi and Suarez has taken a deeper turn. The two South Americans not only enjoy a similar wavelength on the pitch but they are also good friends off it. There have been suggestions that Messi influences Suarez’s inclusion in the team, even when the Uruguayan does not perform at his very best.

Over time, Messi and Suarez have become a duopoly of player power at Camp Nou. Any new Barcelona signing apparently must first pass the rites of passage, which essentially is the approval of Messi and Suarez. If the duo feels that a forward has not been playing his game to their rhythms, his place in the Barcelona team gets complicated.

This is not uncommon in football. The Chelsea team of the last decade also allegedly had such a lobby of power in Frank Lampard and John Terry. Real Madrid had Sergio Ramos and Pepe, who along with Jose Mourinho, hastened the departure of club captain Iker Casillas. Ramos then opportunistically went on to assume the captaincy of Real Madrid.

How Arturo Vidal climbed up the Barcelona hierarchy

Arturo Vidal (left) has enjoyed the confidence of Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi in recent times. His strong performances have been the reason for their approval.

Player power and groupism is an unfortunate reality of modern day football. Like in any profession, a player who has spent a long time at a club starts to stake his claim in various matters. Messi and Suarez's case at Barcelona is a similar one. Gerard Pique is another influential figure at the Camp Nou but even his power seems to be surpassed in stature by the Messi-Suarez duopoly.

Arturo Vidal has apparently earned the stamp of approval from his forward colleagues - Messi and Suarez. Today there is no Neymar at Barcelona but Arturo Vidal seems to be making that spot his own.

It also helps that Vidal, now 33, is closer to the ages of Messi, who will be 33 shortly and Suarez, who is also 33. Arturo Vidal may not have the wide range of attacking repertoire that Neymar had but the Chilean’s impressive displays have earned him the affections of Messi and Suarez.

For now, Arturo Vidal seems to be enjoying his time at Camp Nou. It remains to be seen if the Chilean can put Barcelona back on track for the 2019-20 La Liga title.