The SMr 10 It’s his birthday and that’s why in 90 Min we pay him this tribute, with the ten most remembered moments of his successful football career that will leave him marked forever as one of those who best treated the ball. Today, he is still attached to his beloved Boca Juniors, as a member of the Football Council.
On November 10, 1996 the legend was born. Before Unión de Santa Fe and in La Bombonera, that scumbag was called by Carlos Bilardo and when he entered he did what practically no one else did: he provided an assist and left with an ovation from La Bombonera: “Riqueeelme, Riqueeelme”. Yes, in his first game.
The first flashes of Román at the helm of a team were in this competition, where José Néstor Pekerman’s team became champions with other figures such as Walter Samuel, Esteban Cambiasso, Diego Placente and Bernardo Romeo. Magic was beginning to be appreciated.
… and in what party! In November 2000, the Xeneize team beat the “invincible” Real Madrid 2-0 in the Intercontinental, with two goals from Martín Palermo and the impressive level of Riquelme, who managed the match at his mercy and drove players like Makelele crazy. There he began to be seen seriously by the main European clubs.
“You are the best in the world with the ball at your feet, but without the ball we play with one less man” . Listening to those words from your new coach is far from being a motivation. The dutch Louis Van Gaal could not (or did not want to) Take advantage of the virtues of the Argentine star and that is why his time at the giant Spanish club ended up being bittersweet. The positive: he met Iniesta and formed a beautiful friendship.
In the “Yellow Submarine” he once again felt comfortable on a playing field and guided the humble team to the semifinals of the Champions League, where he missed a penalty that led to elimination in that historic match against Arsenal. Likewise, no one will forget what the “10” generated. The best player in its history?
Although his relationship with the national team always had many twists and turns, Riquelme broke it in the Qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup in Germany and, already in the World Cup, the only one he had to play, he was the tournament’s top assister with four. He is left with the thorn of having been eliminated against Germany and that the “10” has not been able to take revenge on penalties against Lehmann, the same one who had stopped him at Villareal-Arsenal.
The teacher performs, the student observes. Image of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where Argentina won the gold medal after frustration in the 2007 Copa América, where the team had a great team. Riquelme was one of those over 23 years old and wrote his last chapter with the Albiceleste, since he was later absent due to differences with Diego Armando Maradona.
In 2007 Riquelme turned around, put the team on his shoulder and was the exclusive figure of that Copa Libertadores; he scored eight goals in the tournament, including three in the final against Gremio. He won his third Copa Libertadores in the record and showed what it means to be the absolute leader both on and off the pitch. That is for few.
Although the physique was not the same, there was still more to give: spectacular things came out of that prodigious mind. Boca was the undefeated champion of the 2011 Apertura, with Julio César Falcioni as coach. He was left with the thorn of the Libertadores lost to Corinthians, and a new link with his soccer father Carlos Bianchi where they did not have the support of President Angelici and left in a bad way. However, the magic remains forever.
“I left the club 18 years ago, and today I am lucky to be here again.” Argentinos had lost the category and Román returned to help him return to the First Division. And he did it. He continued to make a difference with his intellectual and technical wisdom and “Bicho”, hand in hand with “10”, celebrated. “Now we are even,” Riquelme declared after the game. True to his style, always.
#Happy #birthday #Juan #Román #Riquelmes #moments #successful #career