Juan Roman Riquelme
Boca hero returns to the Bombonera
“The club sold players for $55million but we have just five million in the bank” Boca president Jorge Ameal
The popular youth tournament La Copinha is held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, every year, but this January the competition stood out for one curiosity. Among the players from Cruzeiro, Fortaleza, Vasco da Gama and other clubs were 11 young men named after one of South American football’s legends. But what was curious was that the legend in question was not Brazilian, he was Argentinian. And his name was Riquelme.
Official statistics show that over 15,000 Riquelmes, with many creative spelling variations, have been born in Brazil since Juan Roman Riquelme’s playing career took off. But although he is admired across South America and the world, it is at Boca Juniors where he is most revered.
He retired in 2015 but helped sway the presidential elections at Boca in December in favour of Jorge Ameal, and as a result the former playmaker is now back at the club as vice-president and director of football. “We want the supporters to be proud of this club,” said Riquelme on the campaign trail. From afar this is, perhaps, a strange comment as Boca have won three of the last five Argentinian league titles. But they have also lost a Copa Libertadores Final and semi-final to River Plate in the last two years, and for many supporters that is simply unacceptable.
While renovation work on the Bombonera remains under debate, Riquelme is seen as the spiritual leader of the new Boca as the club undergoes structural and cosmetic changes. When he originally joined as a youngster from
Argentinos Juniors in 1975 the deal involved several youth-team players at a time when Boca did not have quality coming through the ranks.
The new director of football must have observed a similar problem and fired all the coaches at youth level.
As for the first team, the last man to guide Boca to the Libertadores title, in 2007, Miguel Angel Russo returns as coach following spells in Colombia, Peru and Paraguay. But the 63-yearold, who has also battled cancer, will have few resources available in this latest challenge as Boca face financial limitations. According to Ameal: “The club sold players for $55million but we have just five million in the bank.”
Meanwhile, Daniele De Rossi has left, citing personal circumstances as the reason for returning to Italy, Carlos Tevez’ future is in the balance and an attempt to sign Peruvian striker Paolo Guerrero fell through.
With Argentina attempting to stave off
another debt crisis, all the country’s clubs are trying to navigate the country’s frail economy. And with strict limits on the purchase of foreign currency, few are buying. Of the recent deals, River Plate sold Exequiel Palacios to Bayer Leverkusen for €22m in the biggest sale of the summer, while Velez Sarsfield brought in winger Ricardo Centurion but implemented a “domestic violence” clause in his contract after his former partner accused him of beating her in 2017.
Over in La Plata, the Diego Maradona saga continues, with daily updates on whether he will stay at Gimnasia as they battle relegation. What he will welcome is the news that Independiente may rename their stadium after Ricardo Bochini, who Maradona idolised as a youngster.
Although Argentina produces few players in the mould of the classic playmaker these days, the fascination with the likes of Bochini and Riquelme remains intact.