He has been called "the only man who is willing to pay him to play football", he has also been regarded by Messi as the only idol in the football world, and he is also regarded by the media as a classical master of Riquelme's contemporaries. But he had only a glimpse of the splendor of the European continent and whisked away. This edition of football brings you Argentine midfielder Pablo Aymar.
【Player Information】
Name: Pablo César Aimar Giordano
Age: 40 (born November 3, 1979)
Nationality: Argentine
Place of birth: Rio Kurto, Córdoba Province
Youth team: River Plate
Position: Front waist
Height: 170cm
Weight: 62kg
Dominant foot: Right foot
Nickname: El Payaso
Main teams: River Plate, Valencia, Zaragoza, Benfica
Technical characteristics: strong combination of human ball, good at dribbling, wide field of vision, accurate passing, extremely creative and ornamental at the peak.
【First Appearance】
Aymar was born on November 3, 1979, in Rio Cuarto, Córdoba Province, Argentina. His father was a professional footballer who played for Argentina's Newars Old Boys, but spent most of his career on the bench. Because of this, the father pinned his football dreams for many years on his son. After Aimar was born, his father added "Cesar" to his name in honor of cesar Menotti, the famous coach who led the Argentine national team to the World Cup in 1978.
As a child, Aimar began formal, systematic football training at a football club called Estudiantes de Rio Cuarto. Thanks to his family environment and his own tireless efforts, Aimar has shown great talent very early, and although he is often the thinnest player on the court, he is always able to slip away from the defenders with his delicate foot skills. It didn't take long for Argentine giants River Plate to discover Aymar's amazing talent and brought him to Buenos Aires at the age of 14.
In the River Plate youth team, Aimar improved rapidly, and he trained a strong combination of human balls in the front of the waist, which also became his housekeeping skills in the future. On August 11, 1996, at the age of 17, Aimar made his debut for River Plate on the Argentine First Division stage and helped the team win 1-0 over Atlético Colon, causing quite a stir in South American football at that time. Although Aimar did not get many opportunities to play in the following seasons, he benefited from his early experience of training with the first team. In 1997, Aimar was successfully selected for the Argentine U20 youth team, and as the commander of the midfield, he led the team to win the South American U20 Football Championship and the FIFA U20 World Cup, and won the title of "Best Player" at the World Youth Championship, and his flexible and elegant style won him the "Joker" - this loving nickname.
【River Plate Time】
After returning from the tournament, Aymar, who was gaining a foothold in River Plate, took over the no. 10 shirt of legendary star Francisco. Despite his diminutive stature, Aimar has a strong ability to control and get rid of the ball, which allows him to find holes in the opposing defense through constant cruising, and then deliver a fatal pass. At that time, the famous River Plate double gun Juan Pablo Angel and Marcelo Salas were the direct beneficiaries of Aimar's wonderful passing. All they had to do was ambush each other's hinterland, grab the best position, and prepare to accept Aymar's perfect straight plug. Salas once said of his Argentine teammates: "Aimar is an absolute genius, as long as I am in the right position, he can always deliver shells for me in the first place. ”
(Aimar's wonderful performance in River Plate)
From the 97/98 season to the 00/11 season, Aymar's style of play has become more and more mature, with excellent consciousness, accurate passing, beautiful dribbling and speed escape, and gradually become the well-deserved core of the Aliga giants. In the four years of River Plate, although Aimar only played 85 games for the team, he delivered a proud answer of "21 goals and 28 assists". In particular, in the 99/00 season, he was indestructible with Angel and Saviola, helping the team to win the double championship of the Argentine Spring League and the Autumn League, and was selected by two-thirds of the Argentine fans as the best player of the season in the fan voting event of the season.
This fantastic season has also given world football a glimpse of Aimar's outstanding talent, and the media even compared him to Maradona. For a time, Aimar became the target of many European giants. 'I was so invited that I was so scared that the top clubs of the Premier League, Serie A and La Liga all threw an olive branch at me. In February 2001, Valencia, who aspired to challenge real Madrid and Barca's dominance, made it a top priority and, after three weeks of arduous negotiations, signed the 21-year-old Aimar for $20 million, making him the most expensive player in Valencia's 82-year history.
【European Peak】
At that time, Valencia's midfielders were full of clouds, and many good players such as Mendietta, Vicente, Baraja, Ilier and Carru swept the European arena with pleasing offensive football under the tandem of the delicate Aymar. Although the team only finished fifth in La Liga, it eliminated Lyon, Arsenal and Leeds United in the Champions League and finally met Bayern Munich in the final. Unfortunately, in the final, Aimar was completely targeted by hargreaves, who was extremely capable of fighting, so that he was replaced by Albelda at half-time. Despite losing the trophy, it took only 6 months for Aimar to become one of the top stars in European football through his outstanding performances.
In the 01/02 season, tactical master Benitez joined the Bat Army. Under the tactical system of The Coach, Aimar's position retreated deeper, taking on part of the defensive task. Although Aimar had to stay away from the opponent's goal, his possession time became longer and more conducive to his super possession skills and passing ability. In that unbelievable season, Valencia conceded just 27 goals in 38 rounds (seven less than the second fewest Betis), and after 31 years, won the La Liga title, and Aimar was also praised by the Spanish media as "the angel who brought joy to the Mestana Stadium".
(Aimar in Valencia)
In the 02/03 season, although Aimar still maintained a very high standard, Valencia's overall performance was not satisfactory, and in the end, the league was only fifth, and the Champions League was eliminated by Inter Milan with fewer away goals in the quarter-finals. In the 03/04 season, Benitez made adjustments to the team's tactics, requiring the formation to move forward as a whole and constantly pressing the opponent, which returned Aimar to the position of the free man in the midfield that he was most familiar with. Throughout the season, Aimar has been in a good position, not having to stick to too many defensive tasks or the overall front pressure of the team, just waiting for the opportunity to open up the offensive space for the team. With the help of Aimar, Valencia have forged ahead in both the domestic league and the European arena, winning the league after two years and winning the UEFA Cup. In August, the Bat Legion moved on to the next city, with a 2-1 victory over Mourinho-led Porto to win the European Super Cup. It was the greatest season in Valencia's history and the crowning moment of Aymar's career, and his arrival fulfilled the fans' double wishes: the championship trophy and the intoxicating artistic football.
【Invisible crowd】
In the summer of 2004, Benitez moved to Liverpool with full honors, and "pot maker" Ranieri became the new manager of the Bat Army, a change that completely changed Aimar's career.
Under the Italian, Aimar was placed more on the flanks, which made Aimar, who did not have an absolute advantage in terms of speed, extremely uncomfortable, and with injuries, the most ornamental attacking midfielder in European football gradually lost his form. Although Maradona said that "Aimar is the only player who is willing to pay him to play football", the Argentine's playing time in Mestalla has been drastically reduced. During the years of the bench, the self-confidence of Aimar was also lost, and like a magician who had lost his magic, the Joker could no longer use his talent and agility to deliver a fatal pass for the team. Until the 05/06 season, only occasional glimpses of Aymar's inspiration, which was already his last season at Valencia, came to an end to a stunning but slightly short story.
In the summer of 2006, Benitez, who won the Champions League and FA Cup in Liverpool, once again threw an olive branch to his former lover, but the injured Aymar was reluctant to go to the faster-paced and more confrontational British arena. Some people think that this is a manifestation of Aymar's lack of ambition, but for Aimar himself, it is most important to get back to where he is best and play in his favorite way. He decided to stay in La Liga and switch to the mid-range team Zaragoza, but unexpectedly, Aimar once again felt the helplessness of driving high and low. In the 06/07 season, Zaragoza recruited strong reinforcements such as the Milito brothers and Pique, and Emal, who returned to the middle, became the perfect partner for Diego Milito, delivering 11 assists throughout the season, helping the Argentine center score 23 La Liga goals and win the La Liga Silver Boot that season. The team also finished sixth in the league under the leadership of Aimar. However, the good times did not last long, and in the 07/08 season, Zarago suffered a financial crisis due to poor management, and with the upheaval at the top and the departure of key players, the team also collapsed, and finally suffered relegation at the end of the season.
(Aymar's wonderful performance in Zaragoza)
In the summer of 2008, Portugal's Benfica were desperate to find a successor for the newly retired Rui Costa, while the Portuguese giants with Nuno Gomez, Di Maria and Reyes also attracted the attention of Aimar for their fluid attacking style. In the early days of joining, Amar's outstanding performance once made people see the shadow of the magician in the valencia period. Although age and injuries have made it difficult for the Joker to return to his former peak state, Aimar still dedicates everything to the team with his unparalleled professional attitude. When he bid farewell to Benfica in the 12/13 season, Aimar left a good answer sheet with 107 appearances and 34 assists in the Portuguese Premier League, and helped the team win the "double" of the Portuguese Premier League and the Portuguese League Cup in the 09/10 season. After that, Aimar moved to the Malaysian league and eventually returned to his parent team, River Plate, where he officially announced his retirement in 2015.
(Aymar in Benfica)
Without too many injuries and such frequent changes, perhaps Aimar's career could have reached higher heights. "Everything seems so good, but the time that belongs to Aymar is really too short." After Emal's official retirement, Valencia's official Tweet tweeted the words. Perhaps this is the best interpretation of the career of Aymar, who was once omnipotent at the Mestalla Stadium.
#温情往事 #
Many people regard Aimar as Maradona's successor, but in my opinion, Aimar's style is closer to the Argentine midfielder Ortega, who is also from River Plate's youth training and started his European career in Valencia. But compared with the well-behaved and grumpy Ortega, Aimar is much more shy, hating dealing with the media and not being a public figure, he has also left a lot of warm past in football.
#梅西的偶像 #
When Aimar first entered Valencia and played in Spain, Leo Messi, who was still in the La Masia academy, regarded him as his only idol in the football world! He once said in an interview, "Maradona is just an idol of my father, and for my generation, I only worship Amar.". It is said that when Messi first entered the Barca first team, the then manager Rijkaard also deliberately asked Ronaldinho to exchange shirts with Aimar after the match against Valencia, and then gave the shirt to Messi.
The most classic scene appeared at the 2014 FIFA Golden Globe Awards ceremony, where Messi stood in front of the stage as a Golden Globe winner candidate, but the big screen suddenly played a blessing from Aimar, "You are facing two outstanding people in world football, but in my heart, you will always be the best." Now it's a serious question: Do you still have a childlike passion for football? Big hugs and wish you all the best! Many people analyzed that at that time, Aimar's words were more like the advice and expectations of a predecessor, don't forget the original intention! Luckily, inspired by her idols, Messi did it.
#童心未泯的爱好 #
Aimar is extremely reluctant to deal with the media, and whenever a training game is over, he prefers to go home and do what he likes to do, read a book, listen to music, and even watch cartoons. It is said that Aimar has loved watching cartoons since childhood, especially "Tom and Jerry", and after becoming famous, he will still take the tape of "Tom and Jerry" to pass the long journey.
The Joker is also a big fan of Argentina's most famous five-piece rock band, Los Piojos, almost universally known in Valencia's fandom, and he often hums the band's eponymous song from the band's album in the locker room, even his teammates are familiar with it. When "Los Piojos" held a concert in Aymar's hometown of Cordoba, the lead guitarist Daniel specially invited Aymar to return home to participate, but in order to prepare for the friendly match with the German team, the "Joker" stayed in Europe. When valencia fans learned of this, they also asked the club to invite the band "Los Piojos" to the Mestana Stadium for a concert to fulfill Aymar's wishes. Although the incident did not make it happen in the end, it was enough to show the popularity of Aimar in the hearts of Valencia fans at that time.
【Friendship years】
Aymar places great importance on friendship. It is said that Riquelme wanted to buy a car when he first arrived in Spain, but he did not have a lot of money, and When Amar learned of this, he did not hesitate to offer to support him, which made Riquelme very moved.
The Joker's best friend is "Rabbit" Saviola, who was in the River Plate team together, because of their similar age, Aimar and Saviola became intimate partners, and they always shared the same room when they went out to play. Aymar was also loved by Saviola's mother, and when he went to Buenos Aires alone to play football, Saviola's mother treated him like her own son. After Saviola joined Barcelona, Aimar, who came to Spain half a year earlier than "Rabbit", spent almost the entire offseason with Saviola, helping him adapt to life in Spain as early as possible. Aimar is hopeful that one day they will wear the same team's jersey again, and in the 09/10 season, it was under Aymar's persuasion that Saviola joined Benfica, and the old dream finally came true, but at this time both of them had reached the end of their careers.
（SHY）