Boca Juniors vs Argentina: Juan Roman Riquelme announced a few days ago that there will be a farewell match in his honour. The soon-to-be 45-year-old Argentine will say goodbye to the game at this match. The teams for this match have been set as Boca Juniors team against Argentina team. The players that will play for each team have also been set. Considering Lionel Messi’s involvement in the match the teams were set in such a way. The match is set to happen on 25th June at La Bombonera.
Boca Juniors team
Claudio Morel Rodriguez, Mauricio Serna, Sebastian Battaglia, Blas Giunta, Gustavo Barros Schelotto, Raul Cascini, Pablo Ledesma, Ever Banega, Leandro Paredes, Marcelo Delgado, Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Sergio Manteca Martinez, Rodrigo Palacio, Antonio Barijho, Tevez, Palermo
Argentina team
Lionel Scaloni – Jose Pekerman, Sergio Romero, Roberto Ayala, Gabriel Heinze, Juan Pablo Sorin, Javier Mascherano, Pablo Aimar, Lionel Messi, Maxi Rodriguez, Lucho Gonzalez, Angel Di Maria, Ezequiel Lavezzi, Ariel Ortega
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Juan Roman Riquelme retired back in January, 2015. However, a farewell match in his honour was left to be held for a long time. It was postponed for 4 years till it has now been scheduled to happen on 25th June. During the announcement of the match, Riquelme said, “It took me a long time to make this decision, but I am very happy that there is less and less to go before I enter the most beautiful region in the world again. Let us have a good day.”
He added, “I know it sounds strange, but one day it had to happen. It’s my place, it’s my life. It’s being home, being with my people again, having a nice Sunday as we always did. It would undoubtedly be wonderful. It would be great to dress as a football player again, touch a ball again, see people again, start running like a kid.” Riquelme also announced that Leo Messi will be involved in the match. He added that it was because of him the teams were decided in that manner.
Riquelme would probably have gone with two Boca Junior teams. However, Lionel Messi has only ever played for Newell’s Old Boys when he lived in Argentina. Hence, if two Boca Junior teams were formed for the match, Leo Messi will not be able to play for either. Hence, a Boca Junior team and an Argentina team were formed and chosen players were allotted to the teams according to that. The date of the match was also fixed as per Lionel Messi’s availability.
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Riquelme and Messi share a close bond. As per the forward, he postponed the match according to Leo Messi’s availability. He said, “A farewell game was supposed to take place in 2019, but Messi called me to tell me not to hold it because he was busy playing and not having enough time. Today I was fortunate enough to speak with him, and he told me that he will be here on the 25th of this month and that it would be a pleasure to see him at the Bombonera.”
The two great forwards of the nation have played together on 27 occasions for Argentina. In that time, Messi assisted Riquelme three times, while Riquelme assisted Messi four times. Since then, the two players have kept a close relationship. Lionel Messi even did a celebration in Riquelme’s honour against the Netherlands during their World Cup winning year in 2022. He did Riquelme’s signature celebration in front of Luis Van Gaan. Many think it was done as a reply to Van Gaal’s mistreatment of Riquelme during his Barcelona days.
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