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Whilst I assume many have seen Martin Palermo’s spectacular goal from behind the half way line for Boca against Independiente a couple of weeks ago, you may have missed within the celebrations a sight that will have been much more refreshing to fans, Juan Riquelme with a smile on his face. Seeing him on the soccer field at all was nice, considering he hadn’t played for Villarreal since early December due to his much publicised falling out with the chairman. But here he is, back at Boca Juniors; the club he supported as a boy and whom he represented so brilliantly for eight years before his move to Europe with Barcelona in 2002. It may initially only be a loan move until the end of the season, but all the signs appear to point to him wanting to leave Villarreal and return to Argentina for good in the summer. So, why has such a talented player returned to Argentina so prematurely after only five years plying his trade in Europe?

To fully answer this question, we first need to look at what it is that makes Riquelme such a sought after but still oft misunderstood talent. As the soccer world seems to gravitate more and more toward power and pace as the key attributes in midfield players, the idea of a classic number 10, the playmaker who dictates the speed at which the game is played, is effectively being lost. Amongst this growing change there has been one player who above any other, certainly in Europe, has carried on the tradition of players such as Michel Platini and Zico in this role and that is Juan Riquelme. With incredible close ball control and unexpected strength in possession, Riquelme is able to control the tempo of a game at ease, causing opposition teams to let their guard down, at which point he delivers a killer pass which splits open their defence. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger commented as much before the Champions League semi-final clash between his side and Riquelme’s Villarreal last year; “He’s always able to slow the game down and wait for a weak moment to kill you”.

With such a unique ability in the modern game you would think that teams would be queuing up to sign Riquelme. However, his style is not to everyone’s taste, with some thinking that the amount of time he takes in possession is overindulgent and doesn’t really benefit his team. Jorge Valdano, a member of Argentina’s 1986 World Cup winning side has this to say about him; “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.” Therein lies the problem. We all know I’m sure, that to complete any journey successfully you need the participation of your fellow travelers and the same has to be said of Riquelme; without the necessary support around him he is unable to function as effectively.

When he first moved to Europe with Barcelona, he joined a club that was going through a bad patch by their standards. Their coach Louis Van Gaal was not overly pleased at the purchase of Riquelme and seemed unwilling to use him in the role in which he had become famous at Boca, the role of the number 10, the playmaker who drifts across the pitch from behind the two strikers. In contrast to their great rivals Real Madrid, Barcelona have always tended to give the role of playmaker to a deep-lying midfielder who sits in the front of their defense and sprays the ball around in order to build up attacks. It was a role that Josep Guardiola had fulfilled for many seasons and one that his heir apparent Xavi was making his own at the time of Riquelme’s arrival. Consequently, when he did play in their league games, Riquelme was often used out wide on one of the flanks and was largely ineffectual in such a position. In a few Champions League and Spanish Cup Games he was used in his correct position and put in some strong performances, but he clearly didn’t fit in at the Nou Camp, and come the end of the season Barcelona signed Ronaldinho to replace him and sent him off to Villarreal, initially on a two-year loan period.