Argentine President Javier Milei faced a rough day out on the campaign trail this week. His team was met with thrown stones in Lomas de Zamora on Wednesday. The whole situation was unusual, but Milei’s comments about it were even stranger. Instead of just talking about the attack, he brought up his past as a soccer player and then, out of nowhere, took a shot at legendary player Juan Román Riquelme.
When asked about the incident, Milei seemed surprisingly calm. He explained that facing a hail of stones wasn’t new for him. He remembered his time playing for Chacarita. He was on their team in 1984, 1985, and 1986. During that period, their home field was closed, forcing them to play at Villa Dálmin. He shared that he often found himself caught in similar stone-throwing incidents back then.
Milei, a well-known football enthusiast, kept going. He recalled a time as a Boca Juniors fan. He went to a game against Palmeiras in Morumbi, Brazil. There, Brazilians threw things at them and even hit his father. But he quickly added a surprising twist. He declared that he no longer roots for Boca. He also stated his dislike for Riquelme. Milei even joked that a River Plate fan must have elected Riquelme. He pointed the finger at Economy Minister Toto Caputo as a possible culprit.
Milei’s Gripe with Riquelme and Boca Juniors
Milei’s sudden dislike for Boca’s leader, Riquelme, has roots in the club’s 2023 elections. That election saw the legendary number 10 take over the club’s presidency. It was a historic moment, making him the most voted club leader in Argentine history. Fans flocked to the polls in record numbers.
Riquelme won by a landslide. He secured 65.3 percent of the votes, totaling 30,318. The opposing team, led by Andrés Ibarra and Mauricio Macri, only managed 34.4 percent, with 15,949 votes. A total of 46,402 club members participated. This marked a record turnout for the club’s elections.
Another major point of tension during those elections involved Javier Milei directly. He openly supported the Ibarra and Macri ticket. When he went to cast his vote, Boca fans booed and insulted him loudly. This led Macri to speak out on social media. Macri expressed his disappointment, calling those fans rude. He said it was a shame to see them insult the president instead of cheering on those voting for the club’s future. The irony? Macri himself didn’t even vote in those elections. He was traveling in Saudi Arabia for the Club World Cup, serving as the executive president of the FIFA Foundation.