Sampaoli stands by Vidal

18 June 2015 16:01

Chile coach Jorge Sampaoli insists it would have been easier to remove the shamed Arturo Vidal from his Copa America squad than keep him in it.

Juventus star Vidal made a tearful apology after having his driving licence suspended for crashing his car while allegedly under the influence of alcohol.

He crashed his Ferrari in Santiago and his wife Maria reportedly suffered "moderate injuries" in the accident, while the midfielder spent Tuesday night in jail and was released on bail.

Vidal must report to the Chilean consulate in Milan every month until the investigation is completed, but Sampaoli has stood by the 28-year-old who scored twice in Monday's 3-3 draw against Mexico and is the top scorer in the Copa America with three goals.

"He is a very valuable player for us," Sampaoli said after confirming Vidal would be available for Chile's final group game against Bolivia in Santiago on Friday.

"I don't think one should be excluded for making a mistake.

"It's much easier to exclude than to include... we all know what he can bring to this team.

"He wasn't able to control what happened on his afternoon off but that's an internal issue.

"He has always had good behaviour while with the national team."

Vidal pleaded for forgiveness at an emotional press conference in which he said he had put the life of his wife and others at risk after spending his afternoon off in a casino south of the Chilean capital.

"It's hard to talk about it because I am very ashamed of what happened," Vidal said.

"The only thing left for me to do is to apologise and take advantage of this opportunity (to remain in the team) that I've been given and counts for something.

"I want to apologise to my wife, to my team-mates, to the technical staff and to the whole country.

"I let everyone down. I want to thank everyone that has stood by me at this time."

Chile and Bolivia share top spot in Group A with both sides having four points from two games but Mexico play already-eliminated Ecuador in an earlier kick-off in Rancagua.

The fans of Bolivia may well still be reeling from their historic win in the previous game, a 3-2 win over Ecuador which was their first Copa America victory for 18 years.

They also held Mexico to a goalless draw in their first group game, meaning the tension is relatively gone ahead of Friday's clash to potentially determine top spot.

Martin Smedberg-Dalance, who scored in the 3-2 win, was quoted on Correo del Sur as saying: "We know it will be difficult, but the pressure to win is with them."

Skipper Ronald Raldes did, however, warn against letting Chile dominate fully, adding: "They will come out with everything, so we have to be focused for 90 minutes."

Source: PA