Arturo Vidal did not call Cristiano Ronaldo a 'smart ass' ahead of Chile Confederations Cup semi-final

Reports emerged across international media suggesting that Vidal had used the pejorative term

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Arturo Vidal did not call Cristiano Ronaldo a “smart ass” and his comments about the Portugal captain were lost in translation, according to the Chile national team’s press officer.

On Monday, reports emerged across international media suggesting that Vidal had used the pejorative term while speaking to journalists after Chile's 1-1 Confederations Cup draw with Australia.

The Bayern Munich midfielder was said to have insulted Ronaldo, whose Portugal side he will face in Kazan on Sunday, and supposedly added: “For me, he does not exist.”

However, Maria Jose Vasconcelos, clarified to ESPN that Vidal’s words had been misinterpreted and reports claiming he had disparaged Ronaldo were “false”.

“The only thing Arturo Vidal said about Cristiano Ronaldo was in the mixed zone, and they asked if he was afraid of the 'cuco',” she said.

In Chilean Spanish, the term ‘cuco’ is used in a similar fashion to the English word ‘bogeyman’, meaning a ‘danger’ or ‘one to fear’.

Vidal told reporters that there is no ‘cuco’ in Portugal’s team, captain Ronaldo included, and that he and his Chile team-mates had little to fear in the forthcoming semi-final.

However, in Castilian Spanish, the variety used in northern and central Spain, 'cuco' can be used to mean ‘crafty’ or ‘sly’.

This Castilian translation was used in the reporting of Vidal's quotes and then reinterpreted by German, English and other Spanish media outlets, causing the midfielder’s remarks to seem surprisingly provocative.