Juan Román Riquelme was the last great classical number ten, an Argentine playmaker who bent matches to his own unhurried rhythm. At Boca Juniors he became an idol, orchestrating the club’s Copa Libertadores successes with a vision and touch that seemed to belong to an earlier age.
In Europe he flourished most at Villarreal, guiding the modest Spanish club to the brink of a Champions League final and elevating everything around him. Elegant, deliberate and gloriously unhurried, he treated the ball as something to be caressed rather than chased.
For Argentina he was both revered and debated, a purist’s footballer in an increasingly athletic game. His refusal to compromise his style made him a cult figure and one of the most beloved players his country has produced.