Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola has defended Arturo Vidal following criticism from honorary president Franz Beckenbauer of the midfielder's performance against Olympiakos.
Beckenbauer, whose influence at the club is limited, had previously urged Vidal, 28, to work on his discipline in order to help the side fully.
The former Bayern player and coach then hit out at the Chile international, who arrived in the summer from Juventus, following his display during the 3-0 Champions League victory over Olympiakos on Wednesday.
"We don't need footballers who don't move, we have enough," he told Sky Deutschland. "The hope in him was higher. He can certainly play better. You can play bad passes and lose direct duels, but the effort has to be right."
Speaking to reporters in Munich on Friday, Guardiola leapt to the defence of his player.
He said: "I disagree with Mr. Beckenbauer. Arturo is an FC Bayern player -- they have decided to sign him for the next few years and he is a great player for us."
Stats from the Olympiakos match showed Vidal had a 92.5 percent passing accuracy, just behind Xabi Alonso and Thiago Alcantara, while data also showed he ran 9.5 kilometres in the 79 minutes he played. However, he only won 36.4 percent of his direct duels.
"I am not interested in stats," Guardiola added.