Riquelme returns to the 'Selección'

[Athe~]

After years without a call-up, Riquelme will make an unexpected return to international duty after being named in Alejandro Sabella's squad to face Brazil in September. Other 'veterans' called up to play include Verón, Sebastián Dominguez, Clemente Rodriguez and Emiliano Papa, and a few old players will be making their debuts - 32 year old Leandro Desábato, 29 year old Agustín Pelletieri and 30 year old Agustín Orión.

Full list for the matches against Brazil on late September:

Barovero, Marcelo (Vélez Sarsfield) - Debut
Domínguez, Sebastián (Vélez Sarsfield)
Fernández, Augusto (Vélez Sarsfield)
Canteros, Héctor (Vélez Sarsfield) - Debut
Martínez, Juan Manuel (Vélez Sarsfield)
Papa, Emiliano (Vélez Sarsfield)
Cellay, Christian (Estudiantes de La Plata)
Desábato, Leandro (Estudiantes de La Plata) - Debut
Braña, Rodrigo (Estudiantes de La Plata)
Verón, Juan Sebastián (Estudiantes de La Plata)
Fernández, Gastón (Estudiantes de La Plata)
Boselli, Mauro (Estudiantes de La Plata)
Pillud, Iván (Racing Club)
Castro, Lucas (Racing Club) - Debut
Pelletieri, Agustín (Racing Club) - Debut
Hauche, Gabriel (Racing Club)
Orión, Agustín (Boca Juniors) - Debut
Rodríguez, Clemente (Boca Juniors)
Riquelme, Román (Boca Juniors)
Chávez, Christian (Boca Juniors)
Bottinelli, Jonathan (San Lorenzo de Almagro)
Gigliotti, Emmanuel (San Lorenzo de Almagro) - Debut
López, Lisandro (Arsenal F.C.)
Valeri, Diego (Lanús)

For the more immediate future, Sabella also named his squad to face Venezuela and Nigeria in India on the 2nd and 6th of September:

Di María, Angel (Real Madrid)
Higuaín, Gonzalo (Real Madrid)
Messi, Lionel (Barcelona)
Mascherano, Javier (Barcelona)
Banega, Ever (Valencia)
Salvio, Eduardo (Atlético Madrid)
Demichelis, Martín (Málaga)
Fernández, Federico (Nápoli)
Alvarez, Ricardo (Inter)
Burdisso, Nicolás (Roma)
Andújar, Mariano (Catania)
Romero, Sergio (Az Alkmaar)
Garay, Ezequiel (Benfica)
Rinaudo, Fabián (Sporting Lisbon)
Otamendi, Nicolás (Porto)
Agüero, Sergio (Manchester City)
Zabaleta, Pablo (Manchester City)
Gutiérrez, Jonás (Newcastle)
Pastore, Javier (Paris Saint Germain)
González, Luis (OM)
López, Lisandro (OL)
Ansaldi, Cristian (Rubín Kazan)
Pareja, Nicolás (Spartak Moskva)
Rojo, Marcos (Spartak Moskva)
Sosa, José (Metallist)
Andrada, Esteban (Lanús)

Bolded are those players making their returns to the Selección, the most remarkable of them being 'Licha' Lopez, called up instead of Carlos Tevez. Ricky Alvarez will also be making his first appearance since transferring to Inter.

 

[Lol_101]

interesting. haven't seen Juan Riq. play for Argentinian for a while.

 

[PalestrinoSEP]

He was called for a Brazilian League x Argentina League match. Only players who are in their National Leagues will play. That isn't a surprise at all.

 

[Athe~]

He was called for a Brazilian League x Argentina League match. Only players who are in their National Leagues will play. That isn't a surprise at all.

Well, it is because we've had a 'Local XI' for a couple years now and he had been long ostracised and was never called up - first time in 4 years IIRC.

 

[curtis290]

An all-time great but in many ways poison to La Seleccion. His attitude is terrible and the team's performance depends on him so much when he plays. I've seen Argentina play like **** just because he was in the lineup. I'll never forget the game I went to at El Monumental, it was the first of the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier against Ecuador. Riquelme was just god-awful and he weighed down the entire team so much. It took a Palacio goal in the final minutes to earn a draw.

 

[PalestrinoSEP]

My memories of Riquelme are from 4 Libertadores matches, the finals of '00 and the semis of '01, and I don't like to remember that:'(