Real Madrid, much like any big club in Europe, is no stranger to their fair share of controversies and criticism from rival fans, players, or coaches. One of the claims that often crops up against Los Blancos is that they get favourable treatment from referees, whether that be in the league or in Europe.

The most recent claims of bias towards Real Madrid come from a former Barcelona player, who faced Los Blancos on numerous occasions through the course of his career. It is none other than Arturo Vidal.

The Chilean midfielder went on to have an impressive career in European football. Not only did he play for Barcelona but also for clubs like Juventus, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Bayer Leverkusen. He currently plays for Athletico Paranaense in Brazil.

Vidal recently gave an interview on his Twitch channel. And some of his comments about Real Madrid have made headlines.

Former Barcelona player makes controversial Real Madrid comments

As reported by SPORT, Vidal said on his Twitch channel:

“Sometimes I am not sure in which match a specific controversy occurred against Real Madrid… Against Real Madrid I experienced so many robberies in my career, that sometimes I forget details.”

Whether it was in the jersey of Juventus, Bayern Munich or FC Barcelona, the Chilean appears to believe that he was often given the short end of the stick against Real Madrid. Is there any basis for the claims though?

The most controversial game was the second leg of the 2016/17 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals that saw Vidal’s Bayern Munich lose 4-2 in heavily debated fashion. And it is easy to see why the Chilean midfielder might feel how he feels.

At the same time though, there have been many occasions over the years when decisions have not gone Real Madrid’s way. That is just part of the game and something we cannot dwell on. With VAR now in play, one has to admit that refereeing errors have decreased to some degree and that is for the better.