Arturo Vidal hails 'spectacular' Bayern Munich strategy that keeps Bundesliga leaders at game's summit
Arturo Vidal has praised Bayern Munich for the carefully mapped-out strategy that has given the Bundesliga leaders a squad packed with world-class talent.
Bayern are striding towards a sixth successive Meisterschale and a 27th domestic league title in the club's silverware-laden history having opened up a gaping 20-point lead at top of the table.
Their imperious march clear at the top of the table is all the more impressive given that while their heavyweight counterparts around Europe spent massively last summer, Bayern simply tweaked their 2016/17 title-winning squad.
While clubs like Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, who smashed the transfer world record with the €222 million signing of Neymar from Barcelona, lavished eye-watering sums to reinforce their squads, Bayern moved with surgical precision to bring in Corentin Tolisso, James Rodriguez, Niklas Süle and Sebastian Rudy.
Watch: Bayern tear apart Hamburg to stride on towards title!
'Spectacular'
Sandro Wagner was brought in in January, but the only other significant change in personnel came in the dug-out with Jupp Heynckes replacing Carlo Ancelotti in October and masterminding a dominant season for the Bavarians.
"I find the way they do things spectacular. Really," Vidal told German football magazine kicker when asked about how the club conducts its transfer business. "The people here at the club do very good work and know exactly for which position they must buy a player. That means they don't have to spend so much money.
"Other clubs had to do more transfers because they had less quality in their squad. They had to buy new stars to reach Bayern Munich's level and compete in the Champions League. Here at Bayern, all the players are at the very top level, absolutely world class."
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Working with Heynckes has not only been a boon for Vidal the player, but has surely also provided him with some ideas for the future he plans to have when he eventually hangs up his boots.
"I would like to become a coach. I hope that will also be the case when my career ends one day," he explained, even if he has no thoughts of stopping playing just yet.
"[I want to play] As long as I can, hopefully until 36 or 37 here in Europe, then perhaps another year in Chile with my hometown club, Colo-Colo. I work hard every day to be able to play at the top level for years to come."
When Vidal does eventually take charge of his own team, one of the factors he will have to take into account is squad rotation, a facet of the modern game he is not always a fan of as a player.
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