Chile's star player and Juventus' midfielder Arturo Vidal have been involved in a car accident last June 16. He was believed to have been behind the wheel when his Ferrari collided with another vehicle on the motorway in Santiago, a day after he scored two goals in a draw against Mexico.
The 28-year old is reportedly drunk when the accident happened. This immediately arose speculations whether he will still be allowed to play for the on-going Copa America which is hosted by his country.
"He made a mistake, which is not so serious to exclude him," Chile's national team coach Jorge Sampaoli said in a news conference. "I don't think that we should exclude someone for making a mistake."
The situation has put a lot of pressure to the manager who has shown loyalty to the current Copa America top scorer. He is aware that Vidal is a vital part of his squad's campaign to win the title this year and he explained this to the head of Chilean FA Sergio Jadue in a meeting.
Fortunately, health-wise Vidal and his wife are both on a good condition. They have received a few bruises but no serious injuries.
The police who handled Vidal's case informed that the footballer was driving with 1.2 grams of alcohol per litre of blood in his system. It means that he had 0.12 blood alcohol content which could mean him a license suspension or revocation.
"I had a couple of drinks," he said in a statement. "Then I had the accident that everyone knows about. I placed at risk the life of my wife and of other people. I am deeply regretful. I would like to apologise to my colleagues, the directors and to the entire country. I'm going to give my all so that we can be champions."
A full investigation will be conducted in the next three months. Vidal could face a prison sentence between 61 to 540 days.
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