Arturo Vidal held by police for alleged drink-driving after wrecking Ferrari during Copa America

Arturo Vidal set for court after crashing his £230,000 sports car
‘The driver was under the influence of alcohol,’ said police
Vidal was not badly injured, suffering a bruise to his neck
The Juventus star tweeted: ‘Luckily we are all well and calm’
The 28-year-old and his wife were returning from a casino on afternoon off
Vidal is top scorer in the Copa America with three goals

Published:
05:51 GMT, 17 June 2015

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Updated:
10:54 GMT, 17 June 2015

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Arturo Vidal was been detained by Chilean police after wrecking his Ferrari while allegedly under the influence of alcohol.

The Juventus star insists that he was not responsible for the accident which saw his £230,000 sports car ruined on Tuesday night, but the player has been held overnight ahead of a court hearing.

Vidal was not badly hurt in the accident while his wife Maria Teresa Matus also escaped serious injury.

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Arturo Vidal’s red Ferrari after his crash on a highway south of Santiago on Tuesday night

Vidal was taken to hospital after the incident but later tweeted that he was unhurt after suffering just a bruise

Vidal drives the £230,000 car in happier times as he arrives for a training session with his Chile squad

The director of Buin hospital, where the pair were taken after the smash on a motorway south of Chile’s capital Santiago, said that the midfielder had a slight bruise on his neck and Maria’s elbow was damaged.

Chile’s fitness coach Jorge Deseo visited the hospital to make a check on the La Roja star, who is set to appear in San Bernardo court on Wednesday at 2pm (10am local time), where he will likely be released on bail.

Before news broke that he was being detained by police, Vidal tweeted: ‘Regrettably I was involved in a traffic accident. Luckily we are all well and calm. Thanks for the concern.’

He also appeared in a video in which he said: ‘Hello. Today I was in a traffic accident. It wasn’t my fault, I am well, my family are well, and thanks for everything.’

The midfielder had been the hero for his country the previous day, scoring twice in their 3-3 draw with Mexico

Vidal was not badly hurt in the crash, but is expected in court on Wednesday

Lamentablemente me vi involucrado en un accidente de tránsito. Por suerte estamos todos bien y tranquilos. Gracias x la preocupación!

— Arturo Vidal (@kingarturo23) June 17, 2015

THE CAR VIDAL WAS DRIVING

Ferrari 458 Italia

Top speed: 325mph

0-60mph: 3 secs

Brake Horsepower: 562

Price: £230,000

Police colonel Ricardo Gonzalez spoke on Chilean television to confirm that Vidal was being kept overnight in the 15th Precinct of Buin.

Vidal’s sports car was ruined in the collision, which involved three vehicles, according to a police report.

‘The driver of the red vehicle was under the influence of alcohol,’ Gonzalez said, referring to Vidal.

The 28-year-old and his wife were said to be returning from a casino south of Santiago when the incident occurred.

Chile players had a free afternoon but were told to return home by 11pm on Tuesday night.

Jose Sulantay, a former Chile U20 coach, who worked with Vidal, told CNN Chile: ‘It’s very serious to let this happen right in the middle of the Copa America. This sort of stuff doesn’t happen [when they play] in Europe. I don’t understand coach Jorge Sampaoli and I don’t understand Vidal.’