Juan Román Riquelme It is undoubtedly a historical name for football in our country. As former player and President of Boca Juniors, He has a crucial presence in national sports policy, and is considered one of the best players who wore the blue and yellow for his achievements and his bond with the fan.
However, he is also known for his controversial comments and interventions that characterized him in his time as a player. Today, but 24 years agoin a superclassic in La Bombonera, he made a gesture directly pointed to the club’s leadership of that time, which would always be tattooed in the memory of the Argentines and would then be replicated by legends: the Gigio Topo.
Riquelme’s gigio mole: the origin of the celebration that challenged Macri
The enmity between Riquelme and the former president of the nation and president of Boca in the period 1995-2008, Mauricio Macribroke out on March 30, 2001, just ten days before the celebration, when the leader confirmed Riquelme’s sale to Barcelona by 26 million dollarsa record figure for Argentine football.
From the other sidewalk, the footballer was surprised: “This is crazy. Now they say they already sold me and I have no idea. As they didn’t want to negotiate my contract, now they say they transfer me.” Finally, the pass of the Boquense idol to the Culé team was completed, and Riquelme wore the Barca shirt during the season 2002-2003.
Therefore, a few days later and when Boca earned a place in front of River Plate In April 2001, Riquelme decided to celebrate in a unique way: He put his hands behind his ears And he pointed his gesture towards the box where Macri and his family sat. When he was consulted by the gesture, he ironically assured that he did it for the Gigio Topoa puppet that was part of a children’s show of which his daughter was especially fanatic.
Topo Gigio.jpg
Flickr
The reality was that this famous celebration arose from a player’s disgust with the Xeneize Board of Directorssince I wanted a Money recognition for the achievements obtained (three local tournaments, two liberators and an intercontinental). They were valued around two million pesos or dollars, which at that time cost the same.
What are the world football stars that imitated the celebration
Lionel Messi
In the quarterfinals of the World Cup before Netherlandsthe Argentine star took the celebration to the next level. He approached the substitute bank where the rival coach was, Louis Van Gaal, and raised his hands behind his ears, replicating the famous gesture. His reaction was a direct response to previous statements of the Dutch coach and the goalkeeper, on which Messi expressed his discomfort: “I don’t like when you talk before the game with respect. Van Gaal did it on purpose, and those things don’t go with me.”
Eden Hazard
The former Belgian striker, declared Riquelme admirer And Boca supporter, he also appropriated the celebration. In 2019, in the victory of Chelsea On the West Ham, he made the iconic gesture and dedicated the celebration to the idol Xeneize, right in the Anniversary number 18 of the original.
Ronaldo Nazario
“He who criticizes Riquelme does not understand football. I am Juan Román’s fan“The Brazilian said in 2003. In addition to having replicated the celebration on the court, he took him to the cover of Mundo Deportivo, reaffirming his admiration for the talent of the Argentine hitch.
Carlos Tevez
In 2010, the Apache had its own interpretation of the celebration in the semifinals of the English League Cup. After scoring a double against Manchester United, a club that had dismissed its value, dedicated the gesture to Gary Neville, who had supported Alex Ferguson’s statements about his transfer. “It is a chupamedias”, Said Tevez, making its position clear.
Luis Suárez
The Uruguayan striker used the gesture in the 2014 World Cup By scoring a fundamental goal against England. Just 28 days before, Suarez had gone through knee surgery, which made his celebration even more significant for the followers of the Celeste.
Roger Federer and Diego Schwartzman
The impact of the celebration was not limited to football. In 2019, the legendary Swiss tennis player replied the gesture in an exhibition against Zverev, In ROQUE PARK. Interestingly, that same day He met Riquelme and was photographed with him. For its part, Schwartzman, Boca fan, made the gigio mole in a match against Rafael Nadalcarrying the symbol to the tennis courts.
Source: Ambito
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
