SA Blog Number 3: Riquelme To Man City – A Work Of Pure Fiction + Apertura Round-up
24th August 2009
About a week ago, one football website -known for their more capricious transfer stories- published one such story linking Juan Roman Riquelme with a move to Manchester City. While many of us rolled our eyes at the time, the story seems to be gathering pace by the day.
Since the infamous takeover at Eastlands, ‘The Citizens’ have been continually linked with a number of high profile stars around the world and have managed to pull off more than a couple of major coups. The acquisition of Robinho sent shockwaves though South America and eyebrows were most certainly raised during the Kaka transfer saga. However, this one seems a stretch, even for a Premier League side with an unlimited transfer kitty.
Seven Reasons Riquelme Won’t Go To Eastlands
Money can’t buy Roman
The midfielder has constantly stated that money does not hold any motivation for him, and that he has more than enough to see him comfortably through the rest of his life. In 2007 when attempting to negotiate his dream move back to Boca Juniors, he told members of the press “People should know that of the three parties, I am the one who has made the biggest effort and that I have offered to play a year for free with Boca.”
Not only did he offer his services to Boca without pay, but insisted he would waive any wages owed by Villarreal, "I have also told Villarreal they do not have to pay me what they owe me for another year and a half." In fact, following Boca’s early, and unexpected, exit from the Copa Libertadores last season, the club, like many others in Argentina found themselves under growing financial pressure. It is rumoured that Riquelme has already agreed to play the entire 2009/10 season for free.
Roman and the premier League – Chalk & Cheese
With the increasing level of physicality in the world’s leading football league, the fast paced, athletic style of play would be unbefitting –to say the least- of a player Jorge Valdano once described by saying, “If we have to travel from point A to point B, most of us would take the six-lane highway and get there as quickly as possible. Riquelme would choose the winding mountain road, the beautiful scenic route which takes him six hours instead of two.”
He Previously Snubbed Moves To England
Following his long running dispute with Villarreal Coach Manuel Pellegrini, Villarreal received a number offers from clubs all over Europe, most notably Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur who had an offer accepted by the Spanish Club. Riquelme didn’t consider the move for a second, saying “"I thank them [Tottenham] for their interest but my family and I want to return home. I am a simple person and all I want is to play football every Sunday,"
One Club Man
Riquelme is the consummate one-club-man. He joined his boyhood heroes back in 1995 as a 17-year-old and has constantly stated that he never has, or ever had any desire to play elsewhere; he recently said, “Boca are the only club in my heart.”
He Won’t Be Forced Out… Again!
His 2002 move to Barcelona was one that was forced upon him by Boca. Riquelme repeatedly told the club he didn’t want to leave, but with Boca struggling financially, it is said that club officials had to beg Roman to leave; saying the club desperately needed the £17m Bacelona had offered and if he had any love for Boca, then he would go – and so he did. Years later, he would tell a journalist, “At the time I never wanted to leave. The only place I wanted to be was there, with the Boca strip.”
What followed was a thoroughly miserable year or so with Barcelona. Coach Louis Van Gaal informed him upon his arrival that he was a “political signing” and wouldn’t see much playing time. Van Gaal even presented Roman’s newborn son with a Barcelona shirt and declared “He´ll probably get to wear it more than you wear yours.”
His subsequent move to Villarreal provided a slight respite. Despite his unmitigated success in catapulting this tiny provincial club to one of the top teams in Spain and a Champions League semi-final, he has only ever been truly happy when donning the yellow and blue of Boca Juniors. He fought tooth and nail to return, and has repeatedly stated that he never wants to leave again.
No Desire To Prove Himself At 31
Following a career which has seen him win three Copa Libertadores´, four Argentine league championships, an Olympic Gold Medal, a South American Footballer of the Year title and a FIFA World Player of the Year nomination; Riquelme feels as if he has nothing more to prove. Whether he ever had the desire to ‘prove himself’ away from Boca and the national team is debatable. He is a gentle, unassertive and almost submissive man off the field - a wonderfully ironic contrast to his playing style in which the entire game evolves around him. The Guardian’s Sid Lowe once said “When he talks he is timid, almost apologetic”, and that can still be seen whenever TyC Sports thrust a microphone in his face upon the final whistle of every Boca Juniors match.
A Volatile Personality
Put simply, Riquelme needs to be loved; he needs to be the very heart of any side, not only to get the very best out of him as a player, but for his own well being. Any coach who plays him in a side that isn’t built entirely around him risks uncovering a malevolent personality, one prone to inflammatory comments that will unsettle the most harmonious of dressing rooms. He has a huge ego, one that he wears almost as a safety blanket to cover his underlying fragility. It is nigh on impossible to imagine those personality traits would appeal to an authoritarian like Mark Hughes.
His recent retirement from international football is proof enough of just how fragile yet obstinate he is. Upon announcing his retirement, he declared that not appearing at the World Cup for Argentina would ‘hurt his soul’.
Following Maradona’s appointment as Argentina boss, Roman was left out of the new coach’s first two squads competing in European friendlies. With the Argentine League coming to a dramatic climax, no home-based players were selected due to an apparent agreement between the AFA and Argentine clubs. However, the fact that Maradona had neglected to contact Riquelme since his appointment and publicly criticised his recent form, didn’t sit well with the volatile playmaker.
Maradona maintains that he did select Riquelme for the World Cup Qualifiers against Venezuela and Bolivia and claims he “attempted to call him numerous times to tell him that he was in the squad for the World Cup qualifiers but Riquelme didn´t return the calls.”
Roman said, “I found out on the radio that I would not be selected for the friendly against France and I also found out, on television, that the coach wants me to play in a different position. It is clear that we cannot work together.” He added “For me, the selection is now finished. I have my own principles and the coach does not share the same views.”
Apertura Round-Up
Elsewhere in Argentina, Torneo Apertura 2009 finally kicked off this past weekend. Click here for a full round-up of all the action from the opening weekend of the season.
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Sam Marks
:::2009-08-26 16:35:54
Great article, I´m a massive fan of Riquelme and to even entertain the thought of him playing for Man City makes me sick....now if he was to rock up at Spurs then we have a different story...need I say Ardiles and Villa? I was most shocked at Van Gaal´s behaviour "Van Gaal even presented Roman’s newborn son with a Barcelona shirt and declared “He´ll probably get to wear it more than you wear yours.”
Lets hope he buries his beef with another picky Argentina Number 10 in time for next years world cup.
Good stuff.
Rupert_SAF
:::2009-08-27 21:16:03
Van Gaal treated him pretty disgracefully and it had a major effect on the way Riquelme conducted himself throughout the rest of his career.
I really hope he works out his problems with Maradona but I very much doubt it. Roman reacted in typical fashion, but Maradona knows him well enough to expect that reaction. Just a theory of mine, but, the Boca Juniors supporters voted Riquelme as the clubs greatest player of all time (Maradona came second) just as Diego took the Argentina job. Maradona is a huge Boca Juniors fan and that would have really hurt a man with his ego. It seems very coincidental that he would exclude Riquelme, in such a way, so soon after that happened.
They are both very difficult men to reason with. Unless July ´The Godfather´ Grondona forces the two together then I fear it will never happen.
But who knows, perhaps it will be best for both Riquelme and the national team, in the long run.
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