Riquelme gives his thoughts on Messi's situation at Barcelona

Riquelme on Messi's future

Juan Román Riquelme has aired his thoughts on Leo Messi's future with Barcelona in an interview with FOX Argentina. Riquelme and Messi were team mates in the national team (Leo inherited his No.10 shirt with the Albiceleste) and the ex-player thinks the Barça ace is going though something similar to what he went through with his lifelong club, Boca Juniors. "I think he's going to stay there. He is enjoying playing football - as he has done since he was 10 years old. He was in the youth teams with some of his actual team mates and he has made friendships; It's a bit like what happened to me at Boca. If it had been up to me, I would have stayed on at Boca and played there forever", the ex-midfielder explained.

Riquelme's time at Camp Nou

Riquelme left Boca Juniors to join Barça in 2004, after becoming an out and out idol at La Bombonera. He never fully settled at Camp Nou and left to join Villarreal, helping the team to experience one of the most glorious eras in club history as the 'Yelllow Submarine' made the Champions League semi-final in their debut season in the tournament; Riquelme missed a penalty in that semi-final against the Gunners which, had it entered, might have changed the course of history for the coastal side.

In 2007 he returned to Boca where he remained until he hung up his boots for good in 2014 as a club legend.