Clodoaldo, historical figure of Brazil, settles the dispute over the best Chilean footballer of all time: “Note 9 for Elías Figueroa and 9.5 for Arturo Vidal; it’s two cracks”

This Tuesday, Elías Figueroa celebrated his birthday. The remarkable defender, who triumphed in Brazil, Uruguay and, certainly, in La Roja, celebrated his 76th birthday. In this context, he received greetings and calls. In one, he insisted on safeguarding a position he has always defended, with the same tenacity with which he stopped rival attackers: his status as the best Chilean footballer in history. As when he was playing, Don Elías’ hands and legs do not shake. And, put in dispute for the scepter against Arturo Vidal, he does not hesitate to impose his heritage. “I was three times the best in America and twice the best in the world . Put that ( Arturo Vidal ) is four times the best in America and three times the best in the world…without a doubt, he surpasses me there “, he declares in the program Futuro Fútbol Club, on Futuro radio. Probably, unwittingly, the porteño has reopened the debate.

The discussion does not take long to activate. And the sides, nor by articulating. There are those who find Figueroa fair and add the stellar consideration that the Fifa gave him by placing him among the 40 best football players of the last century or significantly valuing the three awards he received as the best football player on the continent, at a time when South America was playing Pele . And there are also those They raise the option of Vidal, putting his titles at La Roja, his status as the Chilean player with the most titles at international level and in an action intended to be lethal, questioning the origin of the three continental awards that the former international defender of Peñarol and Porto Alegre shines, between 1974 and 1976 . The distinction was delivered by the newspaper El Mundo, from Venezuela, a country with little footballing tradition and more at that time. There are also those who prefer to stay away from the respective trenches.

There is a world reference in football taking a stand. An unexpected posture, if you will. It is none other than Clodoaldo, a figure from Brazil in 1970, in which Pelé shone, with whom he was crowned world champion. The old side puts the signature. “Good question! It is very difficult to say who is the best. They are two cracks of different styles, but I will rate 9 for Elias Figueroa and 9.50 for Arturo Vidal. They are two cracks “, he underlines.

The slight but decisive difference in favor of the King puts it in nuance. “They are two monsters of the art of football. It’s a difference of styles. One is more attacking and finishing. The other was a defensive artist “, he remarks.

Juvenal Olmos says he has been pondering the dilemma for some time, unable to come to a clear conclusion. “We hit the same blind spot as always. how we choose it . Because of his performances in Brazil, because he was considered one of the best central defenders in the world in the case of one or because of what he achieved in Europe and with the national team in the case of the other. There is no melting point to evaluate them. At that time, there were no international competitions. Elías went to World Cups and stood out. Vidal went to two, he had a great career in Europe, at the time of the networks, it’s another football. I find it difficult to analyze it. I have come to this point several times. And I always come up against the same obstacle, which are the elements with which one can choose . For this whole generation, it’s Vidal. For those who grew up with Figueroa, it’s him, because of the home runs, because he faced Pelé. Figueroa was born in a world without social networks, with very little information . Now we know what they trained, at what time, the photo on the pitch, ”explains the former coach. That yes, he establishes that he is not evading the decision, but that he feels that he lacks elements to adopt it.

From his remarks emerges, in fact, an attempt to redefine the polemic. “The concept of technical draw fits perfectly, because it forces the debate “, laid. There is an element, which, in any case, Olmos does not weigh: this definition alone supposes a change of paradigm : places Vidal on the same level as Don Elías , which claims its status as the sole owner of this seat. For the moment, without wanting to impose his vision, the strategist recognizes that the subject inevitably invites analysis. “To talk about it, you have to sit down, have the time and analyze, break it down,” he enthuses.

Ricardo Abumohor, former president of the ANFP, agrees. “That’s what I’ve always said. These are different things. It’s like when they call me Pelé or Maradona. These are different times. For me, Pelé, spectacular; Maradona, spectacular; Elie, a luxury. And they were made under different conditions. And Vidal, another luxury, which was also made under different conditions. The comparisons are very bad, because I think each of them was the best in its own way. It’s different environments, different conditions, different ways to play. In his time, without a doubt, Elías was the best “, laid. “Vidal also had the chance to evolve in a highly competitive environment. Football today is more physical. I admire them both . Each for himself, but for both”.

Considering that none of the participants in the conversation is encouraged to deliver a categorical position, variables to be taken into account arise spontaneously. Waldo Ponce, for example, puts the generational factor on the table. “Comparisons are very odious, I don’t know what you are looking for. Each has its merits in its time. You have to take advantage of what Arturo left and, at least for me, because of the reference I have to Don Elías, because of what they told me and what can be seen also in the videos “, he argues.

Of course, with the experience of having rubbed shoulders with the Flamengo midfielder at the dawn of the Golden Generation, he does not hesitate to recognize his merits to place himself in the dispute. “Comparing or weighing who was better or worse doesn’t seem like a good exercise. I didn’t have the chance to see Don Elías play, but I had the chance to be a teammate of Vidal and he was extraordinary . The results support Arturo, despite not being relevant to this analysis. We are talking about a complete player, who hits with both legs, a technician and who also has a huge heart . Must be the best partner i ever had “, he underlines. Of course, he still retains respect for the other character in question. “Don Elías played when supercracks were “, he underlines.

In fact, Ponce is trying to downplay the intensity of the Figueroa sighting. “He says what he has. And it is so. Afterwards, comparisons are always odious. There’s a long way to go “, establishes.

Olmos recounts an experience as a rival to Figueroa. “I had to play against Elías, he was 36 years old. Nacho Prieto told me to face it and there was no way to get past it . I had to play against him and Arturo had to admire him off the pitch. It’s not that I’m being scammed, I lack arguments . And those who propose them are always emotional. Arturo was champion twice with Chile, but Elías was cataloged as the best defender of the World Cups, ”he explains.

Another advantage emerges from the debate: are there more actors who can get involved in the discussion? Olmos, at least, is outspoken. “I don’t match another . Caszely had off-the-shelf conditions. Or Salas who got injured and told me he was ready, then he didn’t want me to take him out and did everything with all his might. Or Zamorano, who has a precious history and achievements that have not been taken advantage of. Even so, the two, Figueroa and Vidal, are a bit above the rest ”.

Finally, the former UC technician adds a final argument: the support that each of the actors in the discussion received from their peers. “This generation helped Vidal more than his in Elías Figueroa. Look where Bravo played, Alexis. They hit there. The same Charles, how many years has he been in Germany and captain of Leverkusen. They broke schemes and beliefs, like that you couldn’t win the Copa América or that you couldn’t be offensive. Chile before them has always been under several . They have made football generate change. That’s what Chino Ríos caused. He put on the crown, even if it was a month, a week. He broke that barrier. This generation has fought hand in hand with the Argentina of Messi and Agüero for ten years. And the two times they were measured, they were sent home. From there, Vidal took advantage “, He insists.