La Vidal Loco

Arturo Vidal Is Infamous For His Booze, Brawls, And Boorish Behavior,  But Bayern Munich Have Another Name For Him: Winner. 

- Uli Hesse

The Over Powering Smell Of The Warrior —for nothing. No matter what life throws at him, he always soldiers on. And so, without breaking stride, he enters the gym.

“Here he is!” a man in lederhosen triumphantly yells into a microphone, “Our Ar-tu-ro … ”

“Vidal!” some 450 Bayern fans scream, raising their glasses. We’re in a tiny Bavarian town, northeast of Munich. One of Bayern’s

4,208 official supporters’ clubs is having its annual Christmas party. Today there is a guest of honor.

They’ve been asked not to leave their places when the Chilean strides into the room, but that doesn’t mean they remain seated. People stand up on ale benches to get a better look at Bayern’s midfield workhorse.

A Bayern club song starts up at earsplitting volume. On his way to the stage, Vidal shakes hands, slaps palms, and poses for photos. When he finally arrives at his seat, the man in lederhosen says, “Arturo, we’ve heard you’re a bit of a sweetie, so here’s something we hope you’ll like.” Whereupon two women present him with a large red-and-white cake. Vidal gets out his mobile and takes a photo of the calorie bomb.

The next day, in the calm of Bayern’s clubhouse, I will remark on what a surreal experience it is to see someone from the poorest part of Santiago de Chile at the center of a raucous Christmas party in the Bavarian hinterland. And how endearing but slightly unsettling it is to hear beer-drinking men who speak with an accent so thick that I struggle to follow their words address Vidal, the heavily tattooed warrior feared by every opponent, as a “sweetie.” Sipping espresso, the Chilean smiles and replies, “It was actually very nice, because the people were so respectful and friendly. It was great.”