Riquelme Praises Paredes, Addresses Live Stream Incident and Arbitration

Boca Juniors president Juan Román Riquelme recently addressed multiple facets of the club’s current state, ranging from player leadership to a viral broadcasting mishap. In a wide-ranging interview with journalist Flavio Azzaro, Riquelme highlighted Leandro Paredes as the team's emotional anchor. He described the midfielder as "outstanding" and emphasized his role in stabilizing the locker room following the painful elimination from the Copa Libertadores Source: La Voz del Interior.

The conversation took an unexpected turn when it was revealed that Riquelme and former director Raúl Cascini were unaware they were being broadcast live on Azzaro’s streaming channel. The incident, which included casual banter about a previous bet and comments regarding teammate Sebastián Villa, went viral. Riquelme later clarified the situation, noting he does not watch much television and only realized the error after the fact Source: Clarín; Source: Infobae.

On the pitch, Riquelme defended the squad's competitiveness across all tournaments while addressing the contentious issue of officiating. He argued that Argentine referees face undue pressure compared to their European counterparts, where stoppages are shorter. Riquelme insisted that long-term success depends on playing quality rather than refereeing decisions, citing Boca’s own past experiences with controversial calls against Estudiantes Source: Infobae. He also acknowledged specific grievances from the Libertadores loss to Cruzeiro but stressed the team's internal accountability.

Political tensions within the institution were also touched upon. Riquelme indirectly criticized former president Mauricio Macri, suggesting the ex-mandate wishes for Boca’s failure. Despite these external distractions, Riquelme expressed confidence in coach Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s structure and the squad's ability to challenge for titles Source: La Voz del Interior.