In an interview with the newspaper "La Gazzetta dello Sport," Arturo Vidal admitted that he never even considered the possibility of leaving Turin's "Juventus" despite attracting attention from the strongest European clubs.
The 26-year-old footballer, considered the best player in his position on the planet, also mentioned that he has no regrets about rejecting an offer from European champions Bayern Munich two years ago and extending his contract with the Italian club.
"I turned down Bayern's offer and I never regretted it. I am confident that I can also triumph in the Champions League with Juventus. In the near future, I will extend my contract, just waiting for a call from Giuseppe Marotta (Juventus' general director)," explained the leader of the Chilean national team.
"I have joined a club with excellent players and an extraordinary coach. Antonio Conte highlighted my individual abilities and made me look at football from a professional perspective. Work ethic is his obsession," Vidal said.
Vidal became a key player in the team that won the Italian gold two years in a row and does not hide the fact that he has attracted interest from the richest clubs in Europe.
"It's hard not to pay attention to offers from Real and PSG and other clubs, but the final decision always depends on my family. My wife and son are very happy in Turin, and Juventus is priceless to me. I got three stars tattooed with the club's victories and two "Scudetto" titles because Juventus and Italy will always be in my heart," he said.
Next Sunday, the Italian football stage will shine with the Italian derby. There are opinions that last summer, when Walter Mazzarri took over at Inter Milan, he could repeat Juventus' achievements, as Antonio Conte did with the team winning Serie A championships twice in a row in 2011.
"I don't know. It's true that they have a new coach, system, and good players, but honestly, I don't think they can repeat what my 'Juve' did two years ago. Who would I like to remove from their team? Rodrigo Palacio and Fredy Guarin. The latter performs the same functions on the field as I do and is a very talented player," Vidal said.
"Inter" tried to lure me when I was playing for Bayer club, but as soon as I received an offer from Juventus, I immediately understood where my career would go," smiled the Chilean.
Vidal also faced a provocative question of whether he would follow Conte if he decided to move to Real, the future opponents of Juventus in the UEFA Champions League.
"If he decides to do so, then I would say: 'Coach, stay here and let's continue this fight together.' Conte and the team have helped me a lot," Vidal confirmed.