In modern football, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the idols of almost every player, even most goalkeepers probably dream of having the duo’s talents.
But who are the heroes of these men, born when they only saw the end of Diego Maradona’s career, and had no chance of seeing Pelé in action? Messi was Pablo Aimar.
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Aimar in action during his passionate stay at Valencia in Europe and La Liga
With a man under the curse of being labeled ‘the new Maradona’, it’s easy to see why Messi’s young eyes were on the talented No.10.
“Pablo Aimar was, and is, my idol,” Messi would later reveal. “I really love to see him play and I have followed his career from the start at River Plate.
Aimar and another talented Argentina midfielder, Juan Roman Riquelme, would never live up to the expectations placed on them as the next in the line of Maradona, but they passed on the flame, connecting him to his eventual heir.
“The [Maradona] was the biggest influence for those of us who were born in the ’70s and’ 80s, ”Aimar told The Coaches’ Voice.
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Maradona and Aimar both inspired Messi, the greatest player on the planet today
“At that point, the superheroes were already there: you had Spiderman, Batman and others, but we all wanted to be Maradona instead of those other superheroes.
“We pretended we were Maradona and we aspired to be the guy who was present at the Mexico World Cup in 1986, singing the national anthem and then at the World Cup in Italy 1990, insulting those who were laughing. of our hymn. It was Maradona for us.
“There will always be someone who doesn’t care about him, but for a lot of us he was who we wanted to be. Our families bought us his boots and shirt, not the Spiderman costume. “
Aimar showcased his talents with River Plate in his homeland early in his career, displaying a predilection for cute touches, drooping shoulders, sharp vision and devilish movement off the ball.
Chilean legend Marcelo Salas was a beneficiary of his talents. “Aimar is special,” he says. “If I stay in the center, he will find me – he always does.
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Aimar was an exceptional No.10 but still excelled under Rafael Benitez, knowing he would see less of the ball but pulling the maximum on the block.
A move to Europe was inevitable and after his move Maradona spoke highly of himself about the youngster.
“Pablo is the only current footballer I would pay to watch,” he said upon his move. “He’s been Argentina’s best player in recent years and he’s even more talented than Riquelme or [Javier] Saviola. He is also an adorable child. Valencia fans will idolize him.
Valencia caught him in January 2001 and his debut was against Manchester United in the Champions League and another beautiful game legend – Johan Cruyff – attended his display at Mestalla.
“Now it’s obvious he will be a great player. He has got everything. Perfect control of the ball, great sense of position, he knows where his colleagues are and he has excellent touch.
“As I said before, he has everything to make a difference in Europe. He’s a new star. Even though he’s very young and growing, he’s already pretty good.
“Imagine what it will look like in a few years?”
The Cruyff co-host was stunned by the compliments: “Johan, I’ve never heard you speak like that before.
The Dutch legend replied: “It is true, but it has been so long since I have seen a player as promising as this.”
Cruyff even advised Barcelona to sign the player in 2003, along with David Albelda and Roberto Ayala, but the club opted for Ronaldinho, Deco, Edmilson and [Rafael] Marquez.
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Ronaldinho ended up in Barcelona instead of Aimar and left his own legacy on Messi
Aimar helped Rafael Benitez’s side reach the Champions League final in this first season, where they would lose to Bayern Munich on penalties.
The following year, glory would go to Los Che, winner of the title with the Argentine a key figure.
In 2002/03 he had the chance to shine in the Champions League again, providing assists for fun and once again showcasing his art for all of Europe, and the second title would come in 2003 / 04, while a victory over Marseille in the UEFA Cup final made it a superb double victory.
Such a creative star might normally have difficulty with such a tactical manager, but Aimar was a mature player, able to understand how vital his skills were, but only when it suited the team.
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Aimar went to the 2002 and 2006 World Cup with Argentina
He said: “I love good football, indeed you could say that I live for good football, but I am convinced, and have been for a long time now, that all that really matters to fans is victory.
“Of course, during a game, the fans like that you can produce something or do something spectacular. But I think in two or three days those moments will be forgotten. What remains is “did we win or not”. It’s not necessarily my pure take on the game, but it’s what I’ve come to accept as the dominant instinct in modern football.
Benitez left Valencia this summer, and the club started to decline under Claudio Ranieri and then Quique Sanchez Flores. A move to Real Zaragoza has materialized but would not go well.
At the end of his second campaign in Aragon, they are relegated to the Spanish second division.
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Aimar would end up with Benfica for five years, still impressive when uninjured
Benfica, Portugal, was his next destination, although injuries, which started to affect him at Valencia, disrupted his playing time.
However, over five years he would become a fan favorite, winning one league title and four national cups.
Aimar’s teammates have always appreciated his talents, including Saviola, who played with him at River Plate and met him at Benfica in 2009.
“I’ve never played with another player who knows where I’m going to be or who just looks up knowing where I’m going.”
Aimar agreed: “We always see the same things, he always moves where I thought he would go and I think the same goes for him. That’s why we understand each other and that’s why we really love playing together. We like to be on the same ground.
A very happy 41st birthday to El Payoso, Pablo Aimar. ????????????
Idolized by Messi, in his heyday Aimar was also the only player Maradona said he would pay to watch.
You can see why. pic.twitter.com/aP594332Ay
– COPA90 (@ Copa90) November 3, 2020
Aimar left Benfica in 2013 and showed up in Malaysia, of all places, as he looked to pull out the very last of his career.
It didn’t work and after eight games and two goals he would be gone, despite winning a title medal as club JDT finished top of the league at the end of the 2014 campaign.
With the injuries really affecting him, he underwent surgery and attempted a comeback with River Plate in 2015, but, despite a preseason and a substitute appearance in a win over Rosario Central, he did. was forced to retire.
There would however be one last game in 2018 for the club where he first played football before joining River’s academy.
One final appearance for River Plater ended his professional career
His match for Estudiantes de Rio Cuarto against Spoting Belgrano in the Copa Argentina was his farewell to the football field.
Even Marcelo Bielsa watched from the stands as he played one last time, while his brother Andres Aimar was also in the squad that day. Their father cried in the stands.
Now, however, he’s inspiring even more Argentine starlets. Even though injuries have put the brakes on a great career, he still enjoys the game and is now his country’s Under-17 head coach.
In 2019 his team won the South American Championship and some of those youngsters are now breaking into the top teams across Argentina, perhaps ready to take a trip to Europe like he did.
They almost certainly idolize Lionel Messi at the moment, but the man who frames them inspires them too, just as he inspired Messi.
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