Arturo Vidal is set to sue German newspaper Sport Bild after they published a story claiming he left Bayern Munich's training camp during their winter break in Qatar and returned smelling of alcohol.
The Chilean midfielder took to Instagram to inform of his decision to "initiate a legal claim against the newspaper."
Bayern Munich will also take legal action against the newspaper after Sporting Director, Matthias Sammer, also declared their intention to proceed with legal action.
Sammer told reporters on Wednesday that, "We've talked to the player, we've talked to his agent, we trust them. The player has confirmed that it is not true. We believe the player. The report is untrue. We will take legal action against it."
Vidal lost his license in the summer of 2015 after he crashed his Ferrari while driving under the influence of alcohol.
The incident took place during the Copa America but Vidal was not reprimanded, as his then coach, Jorge Sampaoli said "we can not exclude someone just because they made a mistake."
Vidal said at the time, "I had two drinks and then the accident, which you all know about. I endangered the life of my wife and that of many people. I am very sorry, I am very ashamed. I want to thank all those who supported me during this time. I want to ask for forgiveness from my colleagues, the players, the coaches and the whole country. I will do my best so that we can be champions [of the Copa America]."
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