Juan Román Riquelme

Juan Román Riquelme (born 24 June 1978 in San Fernando, Buenos Aires) is an Argentina football (soccer) midfielder who currently plays for Boca Juniors of the Primera División Argentina and formerly for the Argentina national football team. Juan Román Riquelme is a playmaker known for Juan Román Riquelme passing and setting the tempo of the play.

Club career

Early career

Riquelme was born in San Fernando, Buenos Aires, into a family of ten in poverty, and grew up in Don Torcuato. Argentine clubs Boca Juniors and Club Atlético River Plate spotted Juan Román Riquelme when Juan Román Riquelme was a youth player for Argentinos Juniors. Juan Román Riquelme chose to move to Boca in 1995, as Juan Román Riquelme had been a fan of the club since childhood. Boca paid US$800,000 to sign him. A year later, on 10 November 1996, Riquelme played Juan Román Riquelme first professional match in a 2-0 win over Unión de Santa Fe. Two weeks later, Juan Román Riquelme scored Juan Román Riquelme first senior goal in Boca's 6-0 win over Club Atlético Huracán.

Barcelona

In 2002, after seven successful seasons with Boca Juniors, the Football (soccer) positions Centre midfield was transferred to FC Barcelona for a reported €11 million. Shortly before Juan Román Riquelme departure from Boca, Juan Román Riquelme brother, Cristian, was kidnapped. Riquelme negotiated for Juan Román Riquelme brother's release and eventually paid the ransom. Juan Román Riquelme has stated before this was one of the reasons why Juan Román Riquelme chose to leave Boca although it has also been noted Riquelme was in dispute with Boca over Juan Román Riquelme contract at the time. Barcelona coach Louis van Gaal described Riquelme as a "political signing" and treated Juan Román Riquelme with indifference. When Van Gaal did play Juan Román Riquelme Juan Román Riquelme rarely did so, deploying Juan Román Riquelme on the flanks. Juan Román Riquelme was unable to find Juan Román Riquelme form during a period of largely substitute appearances, losing Juan Román Riquelme place in the first team. Van Gaal instead chose to use Juan Román Riquelme as a backup player, standing in during Spanish Cup and Champions League Group stage matches. Juan Román Riquelme was loaned to Villarreal CF a year later.

Villarreal

At Villarreal CF, Juan Román Riquelme was surrounded by fellow Latin and South American players, including fellow Argentine international and captain Juan Pablo Sorín. At the end of the 2004-05 campaign, Spanish sports newspaper

A peculiar contract situation arose when, on 7 December 2005, Villarreal beat French club Lille OSC 1-0 to win its UEFA Champions League group, knocking out English giants Manchester United F.C., and Lille and advancing to the lucrative knockout stages in the club's debut season in the UEFA Champions League. Because of a clause in the transfer contract with Barça, Villarreal had to pay €1 million to the Catalonia club. The contract included another two €1 million clauses; one if Villarreal finished in one of the top four positions of the Spanish La Liga in the 2005-06 season, and an identical clause for the 2006-07 season.

During the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final match between Villarreal and Arsenal F.C., Jens Lehmann saved a Riquelme penalty that would have taken the match to extra time.

Boca Juniors

Riquelme accepted a five-month loan back to Boca Juniors on February 2007 following a tense situation between Juan Román Riquelme and Villarreal's director general and with club manager Manuel Pellegrini. Riquelme has played a significant part in Boca's success in the Copa Libertadores 2007, scoring against Club Atlético Vélez Sársfield in the round of 16, Club Libertad in the quarter finals and Corporación Nuevo Cúcuta Deportivo in the semis, earning Boca a place in the finals. In the first leg of the final against Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense, Riquelme scored a goal and in the return leg, scored two more, crowning Boca as the 2007 Copa Libertadores Champions. Juan Román Riquelme also won the award for the Copa Libertadores' Most Valuable Player.

In August 2007, it was reported that Boca had given up hope of re-signing Riquelme. However, a few days later the situation changed, as Boca Juniors director Juan Carlos Crespi expressed confidence in Riquelme's return "within 10 days". The negotiations stalled when Villarreal's offer to give up Riquelme in exchange for Euro4 million, Rodrigo Palacio, and half the rights to either Mauro Boselli or Jonathan Maidana was rejected by Boca. It was announced on 30 August that Riquelme has been signed by Atlético Madrid for a fee of €8 million. This transfer however, fell through at the last minute, and Riquelme remained a Villareal player and was awarded the 16 shirt.

On 26 November 2007, Riquelme reached an agreement with Villarreal to allow Juan Román Riquelme to join Boca Juniors after the transfer window re-opened in January 2008.

International career

Riquelme won the South American Youth Championship and the FIFA U-20 World Cup, both in 1997 with coach José Pekerman. And would receive a call-up, but did not play in the 1998 FIFA World Cup or 2002 FIFA World Cup FIFA World Cups. Riquelme announced Juan Román Riquelme retirement from the Argentine national team in early March 2009 after a disagreement with coach Diego Maradona over Maradona's public criticism of Juan Román Riquelme recent performances with Juan Román Riquelme club team Boca Juniors.

2006 World Cup

During the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Argentina were defeated in the quarter-final by Germany national football team on penalties, after a 1-1 draw after extra-time. Germany equalised moments after Riquelme was substituted off the pitch. Riquelme had delivered the corner from which Roberto Ayala scored Argentina's goal.

Following the loss of Argentina and Pekerman's resignation as head coach, Riquelme was tipped by many to take over the reins of skipper for the Albicelestes in place of the outgoing Juan Pablo Sorín. However, after captaining the team for the first friendly match under new coach Alfio Basile, Juan Román Riquelme announced on 13 September 2006 Juan Román Riquelme decision to retire from the Selección, claiming that the frequent critics from sectors of the press and public had negatively affected Juan Román Riquelme mother's health, who was hospitalized twice in two months after the 2006 World Cup.
At that point, Riquelme had played 37 matches for Argentina national football team, scoring eight goals.

2007 Copa América

On 26 June 2007, Riquelme was recalled to the national team by coach Alfio Basile as part of the 23-man squad to represent Argentina in the Copa América 2007.
Riquelme illustrated Juan Román Riquelme array of skills by scoring two goals – a header and a free kick – against Colombia national football team in the second match of the Copa's group stage. In the quarter-finals against Peru national football team, Riquelme scored two of Argentina's four goals and assisted Lionel Messi for another goal to lead Argentina into the semifinals with a 4-0 win. Juan Román Riquelme scored Juan Román Riquelme fifth goal of the competition in a penalty during the semifinal clash against Mexico national football team, completing Argentina's 3-0 win. After that Argentina was trashed against arch-rivals, Brazil, 3-0 in the final.

2010 World Cup qualification

On 14 October 2007, Riquelme emerged from three months of inactivity at Villarreal CF to score two free kicks in a 2-0 win against Chile national football team to get Juan Román Riquelme team off to a winning start in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification. On 17 November, Riquelme scored twice again in Argentina's 3-0 victory against Bolivia national football team. Currently, Juan Román Riquelme four goals are one behind the leading goal scorers in the 2010 CONMEBOL qualifications. However, Juan Román Riquelme decided to retire from the national team after a disagreement with coach Diego Maradona.

2008 Beijing Olympics

Argentina included Riquelme as one of the three permitted overage players in the squad for the Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics tournament in Beijing. . Riquelme captained the side to win the Olympic Gold medal. Juan Román Riquelme scored one goal against Brazil national football team in the semi-final.