Antonio Conte & Arturo Vidal Uniting at Inter Is a Match Made in Heaven

“Bayern will be confident but they will know that they are not just playing an ordinary team in the Bundesliga, they’re playing against Barça," were the fateful words uttered by a confident Arturo Vidal on the eve of that Champions League quarter-final clash.

Just 24 hours later, Vidal's side were on the receiving end of the most humiliating defeat in their European history.

An 8 (EIGHT)-2 defeat at the hands of Hansi Flick's ruthlessly-oiled Bavarian machine in Lisbon set in motion the sequence of events that has led Barcelona into the disgraceful state they currently find themselves in.

Managers sacked, serious structural changes demanded, contract terminations, the lot. Even the greatest the game's ever seen burofaxed his desire to depart the club immediately. Burofaxed!

For Vidal, meanwhile, his services are seemingly no longer required following the arrival of Ronald Koeman as Quique Setien's successor.

Life comes at you fast, eh, Arturo?

But fortunately for the man blessed with one of the most impressive CVs the game has to offer, it appears he's been handed the ideal get-out route.

Forget the incompetence and instability of Catalonia, welcome to the new dawn at Inter. An exciting project spearheaded by old pal Antonio Conte.

It was Conte who drafted in a 24-year-old Vidal from Bayer Leverkusen in 2011 to serve as a key spoke in his rebuild at Juventus after departing Siena. The pair forged a superb partnership during their time in Turin, with the Chilean scoring 40 times and adding a further 21 assists in 126 games under The Godfather's studious eye before the Italian string-puller took on the job of the national team in 2014.

""Arturo is a fantastic player. I have great respect for Arturo, and we spent many years in Juventus together. If we go to war, I'd always want him with me.""

- Antonio Conte speaking in 2017

The Chilean functioned as an energetic box-to-box midfielder as part of Conte's savvy and even revolutionary 3-5-2 at Juve, often partnering regista Andrea Pirlo and fellow mezzala Claudio Marchisio to form a tremendously well-balanced three-man midfield.

While Pirlo overwhelmed opponents through supreme technique and guile and Marchisio via impressive transitional play, it was Vidal's mature tactical intelligence, versatility and physicality which saw him emerge as a fan-favourite among the Bianconeri faithful and the crown jewel in Conte's system.

Even when maverick talent Paul Pogba rocked up in 2012 and thrust the term 'thunderbastard' into an alternate stratosphere, the status of dual-threat Vidal refused to budge. He was still Conte's man - even if he did enjoy his alcohol a bit too much for his manager's liking.

Nevertheless, with Conte the master and Vidal the midfield grafter, Juventus were able to reach heights unforeseen post-Calciopoli. The Old Lady secured three consecutive Scudetti - breaking the single-season points record in 2013/14 - and added another two domestic crowns.

Vidal, meanwhile, was a one-time Juventus Player of the Year (2012/13) and a two-time member of the Serie A Team of the Year (2012/13 and 2013/14).

Six years have passed since their divorce; Conte has won titles in England, Vidal in Germany and Spain. A lot has changed, but they could finally be set for a reunion. The Nerazzurri are said to have revived their interest in the Chilean this summer after failing to sign him in January, while Conte's desire to work with Vidal once again are well-known.

The 33-year-old's disasterclass, shall we say, in Barcelona's recent European humbling highlights he may not quite be the incredibly athletic and snappy midfielder whom Conte enjoyed in Turin, but that showing alone certainly shouldn't influence your judgement too heavily.

He actually enjoyed a fine season at Barcelona, scoring eight times in 33 La Liga appearances as he served an important function in Quique Setien's system at the Camp Nou - despite his skill set not necessarily aligning with typical Cruyffian ideals.

As it has done throughout his career, Vidal's impressive versatility was laid bare last term; whether lining up as a wide man in a 4-4-2, a shuttler in a diamond or an interior in a 4-3-3, the Chilean carried out every role with the utmost diligence.

It was his capacity to win second balls, contribution to Barcelona's press and ability to provide a source of penetration with surging and smart runs from midfield - epitomised with his early opener against Mallorca after the restart - which helped him play an underrated role for an albeit flawed Blaugrana outfit.

Now, he's set to join an Inter side who Conte believes are crying out for a player of his profile and résumé. The Chilean boasts 535 games of top-level experience as well as 15 major club honours during a 13-year career in Europe.

From a tactical perspective, a reunion between Vidal and Conte seems perfectly harmonious despite the player's age and the manager's strenuous demands. The 33-year-old proved during his time in Spain that he still possesses the requisite fitness, energy and intensity levels to shine under his former boss in Milan.

While there's undoubtedly been some decline since his Juve pomp, Vidal isn't too far off the mightily athletic ball-winner who emerged as one of the world's finest in Turin. This is still an incredibly tenacious and intelligent footballer who'll likely play as a mezzala - like Stefano Sensi did when available last term - at his inevitable new home; being granted the licence to join attacks from deep, penetrate in behind, link with the front two and create overloads down the flanks.

Inter nailed their first signing of the summer in Achraf Hakimi, and a move for Vidal for a minimal fee represents another savvy piece of business this summer.

This is a player-manager partnership which certainly has the capacity to spearhead the end of the Bianconeri's stranglehold over Calcio which they laid the foundations for almost a decade ago.

Juve's demise is long overdue.