Why Arturo Vidal Was the Perfect Juventus Player to Seal Serie A Title

In truth, it was never in doubt. From the moment they defeated AS Roma 3-2 in a hugely controversial clash back in October, each week made it increasingly obvious that Juventus would eventually become Serie A champions once again.

They finally achieved that courtesy of Saturday’s 1-0 away win over Sampdoria, clinching their fourth consecutive title with four games to spare. In doing so, the Bianconeri have proven there was more to this team than simply Antonio Conte’s coaching ability and insatiable appetite for victory.

Massimiliano Allegri—by virtue of not only their continued domestic dominance, but also the club’s progress in European competition—has shown he was a perfectly chosen replacement. A Champions League semi-final and the Coppa Italia final await, but for tonight at least, the coach and his players will enjoy the fruits of their labours.

In a season that has been about so much more than this still-incredibly-sweet championship triumph, it is somehow fitting that the decisive goal was scored by none other than Arturo Vidal. The fact that it was the Chilean midfielder who struck the final blow is significant for a number of reasons, and perhaps foremost among them is that he chose to remain in Turin at all.

After being constantly linked with a move to Manchester United throughout last summer, the 27-year-old remained loyal to the Bianconeri, a decision that both he and the club can both be thankful for. Vidal was the leading scorer for La Madama over the previous three seasons, but returned in poor shape following his efforts at the World Cup in Brazil.

Rushing back from knee surgery in order to represent his country, Vidal potentially jeopardised his entire season, yet returned to his best just when Juve most needed him. Like the Bianconeri, he laboured through a difficult winter, seemingly battling against continual pain in his repaired knee.

But when spring arrived, so too did the player who had come to embody this team’s entire philosophy. Suddenly, as the level of pressure and competition was at its highest, the old Vidal was back, snarling into tackles with his now trademark ferocity, tempering that as always with genuine quality at the other end of the field.

“Vidal is better physically at the moment, as has been shown in his recent matches,” Allegri told a press conference back in March, via Football Italia, going on to defend the former Bayer Leverkusen man from what he perceived as overly harsh criticism of the player’s contribution.

“The problem is that Vidal is only judged by goals, when he’s a midfielder, who up until now has six or seven goals and could get into double figures.

"He should be evaluated for his performances, as should Pogba.”

Time has proved the coach to be wholly correct, with the winning effort against Sampdoria taking Vidal’s 2014-15 tally to eight in all competitions, also adding four assists. That count includes the only goal of Juve’s Champions League quarter-final triumph over AS Monaco, a tie in which his quality was very clearly evident across the duration of both legs.

In truth, it has been for the entire campaign, a fact supported by statistics from WhoScored.com, showing that he has averaged a staggering 3.5 tackles and 1.6 interceptions per game. As if to highlight his ability, Vidal has also weighed in with 1.3 key passes per outing, creating a flurry of opportunities for his team-mates.

“On Tuesday, we have a very important match and now have to concentrate on that,” he told Sky Sport Italia at the final whistle of Saturday’s title-clinching victory in Genoa (h/t Football Italia), his mind already clearly turning to their appointment with Real Madrid.

“This is all a dream and after that we can celebrate for a year!” Thanks to Arturo Vidal, they can do just that.