Arturo Vidal has been speaking ahead of Barcelona facing Newcastle United.
The Champions League last 16 second leg game kicking off at 5.45pm (GMT) on Wednesday.
Arturo Vidal a former Barcelona player, who made 66 appearances for the club between 2018 and 2020.
Ahead of this Newcastle United match, the one-time Barca midfielder talking to media in Spain.
Arturo Vidal declaring to Sport: “Newcastle United arrives with its vast financial resources…but they are entering a temple that cares little for your money.”
Yes, we should all feel very guilty, all Newcastle United fans, such an uneven contest financially against these lowly paupers.
It obviously must be a completely different Barcelona that in the 2026 Deloitte report covering the richest clubs in the world, were named as having the second highest 2024/25 revenues in world football, only Real Madrid higher.
Barcelona second highest in the world with 2024/25 revenues of €974.8m (approx £841m at today’s exchange rate) , compared to the “vast financial resources” generated by Newcastle United, down in 17th place in the Deloitte list with €398.4m (approx £344m at today’s exchange rate).
You have to laugh. The huge financial advantage that Barcelona have, means they can pay far higher wages than Newcastle United, wage bills are repeatedly shown to be the very best guide of what is most likely to bring success.
Barcelona have so many financial advantages over Newcastle United, Arturo Vidal in fantasy land. All of Barcelona’s top players earn far more than United’s highest paid star Bruno Guimaraes, an entire team of Barca players will earn more than any Newcastle player.
Barcelona are guaranteed automatic Champions League entry as the Spanish league is so weak, whilst they and Real Madrid dictate to the other domestic clubs how the TV money will be shared out. In the Premier League, the bottom of the table club gets more than half of what the title winners will get, whilst in La Liga, both Barcelona and Real Madrid bank four times as much as the clubs towards the bottom.
Arturo Vidal warning Newcastle United that: “At Camp Nou, the pitch is too big, the ball moves too fast, and history weighs too heavily…90 minutes at Camp Nou isn’t a long time…it is an eternity.”
Barcelona are of course a good team but they have already lost at home to PSG this season. Whilst in December they were trailing at home to Eintracht Frankfurt before two second half goals rescued them.
Maybe Eddie Howe’s side will end up losing tonight, or maybe not…
Arturo Vidal going on to claim: “Newcastle United will discover that 90 minutes in Barcelona are like chasing mirages for an eternity. They will suffer, because at this level, that’s just how it is.”
The fact is that at St James’ Park, Newcastle United were the better team and comfortably deserved to win. That 1-1 draw saw Eddie Howe unable to consider for his starting eleven the likes of Bruno, Miley, Livramento, Gordon, Krafth and Schar.
Gordon and Livramento (the pair of them able to come off the bench but not able to start at SJP) are now back available and when Arturo Vidal alludes to pace and mobility, this United pair are a match for anybody. They combined (with Joe Willock) to get the winning goal at Chelsea on Saturday and Newcastle are capable of causing an upset against Barcelona tonight.
Obviously, United will need to play well to stand a decent chance tonight, but this is not an elite Barcelona side of the past. It is a very good one, but then Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United are also a very good team when performing at the levels they are capable of.