HOW THESE NEW MARADONAS FROM ARGENTINA BUILT THEIR OWN LEGACY
The new Maradona is a title bestowed on talented Argentina players. One of them was Lionel Messi. We all know how his journey evolved. But now as you stay home to battle Covid-19, let’s share with you five other new Maradonas that made a mark
CARLITOS FROM FUERTE APACHE
Born in Fuerte Apache where every street is littered with gang wars, Carlos Tevez’s ability to dribble past players and his never-say-die spirit earned him comparisons with Maradona. Having made his debut at 16 for Boca Juniors, Tevez was the lynchpin of the Argentina team that won the 2004 Olympic gold. But the versatile player is best remembered for his storied club career, winning league titles in Brazil, England and Italy. The man who became a part of West Ham folklore by single-handedly saving the Hammers from relegation in 2007, Tevez failed to emulate Maradona in the World Cup. But just like Diego, Carlitos is a Boca Juniors idol with his stunning long-range shot recently giving the iconic Argentinian club their 34th league title.
THE GIFTED PLAYMAKER
Juan Roman Riquelme’s poise on the ball and the passing range earned him the Maradona comparisons in the Argentinian press – even though he was never known for explosive play. He was pulling the strings from the midfield when Argentina won the 1997 Under 20 World Cup. Jose Pekerman, coach of that under 20 team, was such a big Riquelme fan that he built the senior Argentina team around the gifted playmaker. At the 2006 World Cup, a Riquelme-inspired Argentina treated fans to delicious football until Germany knocked them out in the quarterfinals on penalties. Riquelme also made Villarreal a force to reckon with, guiding them to a third-place finish in 2005 before taking them to the 2006 Champions League semifinals.
THE ANGELIC AIMAR
You will be surprised to know that Diego Maradona wasn’t Lionel Messi’s childhood idol. Rather it was Pablo Aimar that Messi looked up to. Aimar’s playmaking and dribbling skills set the pulses racing in Argentina as the country’s media found its latest ‘New Maradona. Such was his impact at River Plate that Valencia spent 24 million euros for his signature in 2001. And it was in Spain that Aimar made the biggest breakthrough, helping Valencia stun the giants – Real Madrid and Barcelona – as they won two La Liga titles in three years. Valencia also reached the Champions League final in 2001 and clinched the Uefa Cup in 2004. If not for injuries, Messi’s childhood idol could have reached even greater heights.
THE LITTLE RABBIT
The youngest player to have featured on Pele’s list of 100 greatest living footballers in 2004, Javier Saviola formed a lethal partnership with Pablo Aimar at River Plate, the bitter rivals of Boca Juniors. A technically gifted striker with an eye for goal, Saviola was South American footballer of the year in 1999. And at the age of 18, Saviola sparked the New Maradona conversation when he broke the World Cup legend’s 21-year record as the youngest golden boot winner in top-flight Argentinian football. But the versatile striker never quite hit the heights after moving to Europe. Despite joining a select group of players to have played for both Barcelona and Real Madrid, Saviola couldn’t quite illuminate the European stage. But he was always highly rated by the pundits.
THE MAN CITY LEGEND
Such was Sergio Aguero’s impact on youth football that at 15, he became the youngest debutant in Argentina’s league history. A product of the Independiente youth system, Aguero inevitably drew the Maradona comparison until the pundits realized ‘Kun’ wasn’t a Maradona clone. It was rather Romario, the Brazilian legend, whose game had a striking similarity with Aguero’s. The gifted youngster soon joined Atletico where he formed a deadly partnership with Diego Forlan before moving to Manchester City. And it was at City that Aguero became icon in English football when his dramatic 94th minute goal against QRP in 2012 ended the Citizens’ 44-year wait for the league title. A winner of two under 20 World Cups,