Boca Juniors faces a challenging 2024,with an inconsistent team performance raising questions about their ability to secure a spot in the prestigious Copa Libertadores 2025. However, the Argentine giants have a more immediate and important goal: the FIFA Club World Cup. Following Thursday’s draw in Miami, Juan Roman Riquelme, Boca’s vice president, shared his thoughts on the club’s current standing, aspirations, and expectations for the upcoming year.
“For us,it is a source of pride and happiness to be participating in the Club World Cup. It is also a joy for the teams that will be facing us; they are all teams of an exceptionally high caliber,” Riquelme stated in an interview with radio La Red. “We understand that the competition will be fiercely contested, but we have confidence in our team. We believe our group is well-positioned, and we hope to compete to the best of our abilities.”
“For us, we are the biggest club in the world. I always loved playing against the best. It’s a dream,” Riquelme added, reminiscing about his playing days. He led Boca to victory in the 2000 Intercontinental Championship against Real Madrid but faced a setback against Bayern Munich the following year. Coincidentally, Bayern Munich is one of Boca’s rivals in the 2025 tournament in the United States.
Amidst the excitement surrounding the 32-team tournament and speculation about potential star signings, Riquelme chose to temper expectations. “Dybala? He has been a star of Italian football for 10 years. Paredes? He has the hope of playing there for a while longer. Hopefully, we can have him soon,” he commented without providing further details.
He clarified, “Fernando (gago) is constantly in communication with the Football Council regarding the transfer market. we are going to need to strengthen ourselves in some positions.”
🗣️#Riquelme in @radiolared:
“For us it is indeed a pride and happiness to be in the Club World Cup.
The teams that we played are also very happy,they are all teams of a very high level. We know that the competition is going to be very nice, we have confidence in the team that… pic.twitter.com/482jqXRzUJ
— Boca Juniors – La12Tuittera (@la12tuittera) December 6, 2024
From the outset, it was clear that Boca’s group assignment would be challenging. qualifying through the FIFA ranking table, Boca landed in pot 3. Due to competition rules, the Argentine team couldn’t face other Conmebol teams in the initial phase, resulting in a group with two European powerhouses. Boca Juniors was drawn into Group C alongside Bayern Munich, Benfica, and Auckland City.
Boca Juniors vice president Juan Román Riquelme expressed his excitement about the upcoming competition against top global teams in the united States this June. “We always have the illusion of competing,” Riquelme said.”It makes me very happy to face the biggest teams in the world. When you are a soccer player, you dream of facing them to see if you can compete with the best. The head rules and you get excited, and that’s what happened to me, to see if I could compete with the best. For us, we are the biggest club in the world and we want to compete against everyone.”
Addressing the upcoming transfer window and the club’s preparations for the World Cup,Riquelme highlighted the tireless work of the Boca Juniors Council. “It’s funny, they talk about the Council all day but they don’t stop working,” he remarked. “they haven’t had a vacation in five years, Mauricio just whent to Colombia for a family issue, but he doesn’t stop staying in touch, let’s hope he sorts things out.”
Riquelme expressed confidence in the Council’s ability to strengthen the team. “They are attentive to the team’s issues. We believe that in some positions we are going to have to strengthen ourselves, let’s hope to do well,” he said. “I trust the coach and the people on the council to put together a great team and make people feel happy and identified with the team.”
While the transfer window doesn’t officially open until January, Riquelme revealed that Boca Juniors is close to securing Chilean winger Carlos Palacios from Colo Colo. “We are quite advanced. God willing, we are in the final details and next week Carlos will be doing his studies in Buenos Aires and if it goes as we all think, he will be watching the game against Independiente in La Bombonera,” Riquelme shared.
Regarding the future of goalkeeper Sergio Romero and midfielder Gary Medel, Riquelme dismissed recent speculation. “Three months ago they put together a story: ‘why doesn’t Romero renew?’,and now that he has renewed,they want another goalkeeper. boca is like that, it renewed until December 2025,” he stated about Romero.
Riquelme’s comments shed light on Boca Juniors’ aspiring plans for the upcoming season, both domestically and internationally. The club’s pursuit of top talent and its unwavering commitment to success are sure to keep fans on the edge of their seats.
🗣️#Riquelme in @radiolared s/a new archer:
“Three months ago they put together a story: ‘why doesn’t romero renew?’,and now that he renewed,they want another goalkeeper… #Boca That’s right… it renewed until December 2025.#Means He has a contract and we don’t think beyond the end of the championship.… pic.twitter.com/QUFCEpfJKR
— Boca Juniors – La12Tuittera (@la12tuittera) December 6,2024
Juan Román Riquelme,the vice president of Boca Juniors,recently addressed several pressing topics concerning the club’s future,including the contracts of key players and the potential expansion of the iconic La bombonera stadium.
When questioned about the future of midfielder Exequiel Palacios, Riquelme stated, “Medel has a contract and we don’t think beyond the end of the championship. I only confirm that Palacios will have his studies done next week. Then we only think about the two games we have left,” emphasizing the club’s focus on the immediate season.
The conversation then shifted to the beloved La Bombonera stadium and the possibility of expanding its capacity. Riquelme acknowledged the stadium’s age, noting, “If you start looking at Argentine football, taking out Estudiantes, Independiente, all the stadiums are the same age. The only team that is talked about is Boca, there is no talk of any club that they have to renovate the stadium as it has already met the number of years. Boca has everything signed and has a stadium for 40-50 more years. We are happy that La Bombonera is getting prettier, we caught it abandoned and it was flooding.”
However, riquelme expressed sensitivity towards the surrounding community, stating, “I’m never going to knock on the door of the neighbors to make them leave their houses. I wouldn’t like someone to come and say ‘can you leave your house?’, at least not to me. Sometimes in On TV you hear ‘you have to buy those apples to do such a thing’, there are families, there are children, they are happy to open the door and see the stadium.”
🗣️#Riquelme in @radiolared s/the EXPANSION of #LaBombonera:
“I will NEVER knock on the door of the neighbors to make them leave their houses. I wouldn’t like someone to come and say ‘can you leave your house?’, at least not to me.
Sometimes on TV you hear ‘they have to… pic.twitter.com/ErbUioFYAH
— Boca Juniors – La12Tuittera (@la12tuittera) December 6, 2024
Despite the challenges, Riquelme remains optimistic about the future of La Bombonera, stating, “Hopefully we can enlarge the stadium. We will always improve it. The change is huge in how we handle La Bombonera and how it is indeed today and the fans see it. They just recently chose it as the most gorgeous stadium in the world, I’m not saying that as a fan. Whenever possible we will improve it and expand it.” He added, “But we understand that all Argentine soccer stadiums are almost the same number of years old, but we only talk about ours. I hope that if at some point we want to do something to make it bigger, the City of Buenos Aires will accompany us.”
Juan Román Riquelme and the description of why he does not speak to the press
Riquelme, a legendary figure at Boca Juniors, often finds himself in the spotlight, particularly when the team faces setbacks. As the club navigates a period of inconsistency, Riquelme explained his reluctance to engage with the media.
(Continue the article with the remaining content about Riquelme’s reasons for avoiding the press.)
Argentine football legend Juan Román Riquelme, known for his brilliance on the field and his reserved nature off it, recently addressed criticisms regarding his limited media appearances. In a candid interview with Radio La Red, Riquelme explained his preference for focusing on his work rather than engaging in constant public discourse.
“I speak little because I have a lot of work,” Riquelme stated. “Sometimes I know they get upset because I speak little.I have all the obligations: ‘talk, put on a bow, a hat, laugh when they want… they can criticize you and kill you every day and then they say ‘hey, why didn’t you talk, why not this, why not that’ ”
🗣️#Riquelme in @radiolared s/the criticisms that he does not speak to the press:
“I speak little as I have a lot of work.Sometimes I know they get upset because I speak little.
I have all the obligations: ‘to talk, put on a bow, a hat, laugh when they want…they can criticize you and… pic.twitter.com/x98hlLOL2P
— Boca juniors – La12Tuittera (@la12tuittera) December 6, 2024
Riquelme emphasized his commitment to Boca Juniors and its fans, stating, “I am a normal person, I do my job the best I can and I don’t bother anyone, and I don’t owe anything to anyone, only the commitment to the Boca fans to take care of the club to continue growing.”
This is a great start to a news article about Juan Román Riquelme’s interview! Here are some thoughts and suggestions for advancement:
**Strengths:**
* **Engaging opening:** You’ve set the scene well by quoting Riquelme directly and highlighting his excitement to face big teams.
* **Clear structure:** You’ve organized the data chronologically, making it easy to follow Riquelme’s key points.
* **Informative content:** You’ve covered a variety of critically important topics, including transfer rumors, contract renewals, stadium expansion plans, and Riquelme’s respect for the community.
**Suggestions for Improvement:**
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* “Riquelme: Boca Juniors Aiming High, Will Respect neighbors in La Bombonera Expansion”
* “Boca Juniors News: palacios Update, La Bombonera’s Future, and Riquelme’s Transfer Vision”
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