Despite saying that he would never play for Los Xeneizes again, Juan Román Riquelme looks set to snub a move to Brazilian giants Palmeiras in order to stay at Boca Juniors next season.
Riquelme, 34, has not played a single minute of football since Boca lost the final of the Copa Libertadores to Corinthians in July and vowed never to play for the Argentine club again saying that he had “nothing left to give” the Boca shirt.
However, the appointment of Carlos Bianchi, for whom Riquelme arguably played the best football of his career, as coach seems to have changed the mind of the playmaker.
The pair met on Wednesday at the coach’s house for two and a half hours and the club are hopeful the idol will now return to the field.
“We are optimistic,” club president Daniel Angelici told reporters after the meeting.
Riquelme, who has been linked with a number of Brazilian teams other than Palmeiras, such as Flamengo, Santos and Cruzeiro, declined to comment on what was said during their chat.
“I drank mate with Bianchi,” was all that the number 10 told reporters waiting outside, however the Argentine press are reporting that the former Barcelona star has agreed to stay at Boca until 2015.
