Here is an obscure quiz question to which only Everton fans may know the answer. What do Pablo Aimar and Grant Holt have in common? Nothing whatsoever would be an entirely reasonable response, perhaps even the correct one, yet in those corners of the football world where people have a retentive memory for this type of thing it may be recalled that both scored treasurable, almost career-defining goals against Liverpool.
Career-defining in the sense that Holt’s goal, which earned Norwich City a point against post-Rafa Benítez Liverpool in 2011, was a thumping centre-forward’s header. Aimar’s was naturally much more intricate, when he finished a pinpoint passing move – actually Rubén Baraja deserved much of the credit – to give Valencia the lead in a 2002 Champions League meeting at the Mestalla subsequently judged to be the moment Liverpool recognised where their next manager would come from.
Aimar, who has retired at 35 after failing to overcome a series of injuries in his native Argentina with River Plate, was in his pomp with Valencia in 2002. He had played in the 2001 Champions League final whcih Héctor Cúper’s side lost on penalties to Bayern Munich but fully blossomed when Benítez took over at Valencia. Benítez was old-fashioned enough to recognise Aimar’s qualities as a traditional No10 and make the rest of his side fit in around him, allowing the player – called by some the wizard, others the clown (because he entertained with his tricks) but most hailed as some kind of football genius – the scope to express his delicate but quite definite gifts of touch, control and vision.
The quality of Aimar’s goals and assists for River Plate made it obvious he would end up in Europe, and when he joined Valencia for £13m in 2001, Diego Maradona, of whom more later, said he was the only player in the world he would pay to watch. Lionel Messi, no less, has revealed on more than one occasion that Aimar was the player he looked up to as a boy, infatuated with his apparently casual, almost magical ability. “One of the players most admired by Valencia fans,” was how the club reacted to news of his retirement, yet though sublime and successful, Aimar’s time at the pinnacle was relatively short.
With Benítez at the helm and Aimar pulling the attacking strings on the pitch Valencia won La Liga twice, in 2002 and 2004, and added the Uefa Cup with a victory over Marseille in Gothenburg before the manager had his famous argument using living room furniture as metaphors – “I asked for a sofa and they bought me a lamp” – and departed for Merseyside.
Maybe Benítez should have taken Aimar with him – though Anfield was happy enough with Xabi Alonso and Luis García – for the player was never quite the same again. Claudio Ranieri did not appear to trust him, frequently leaving him out of the side, and although the Italian was gone inside a year Valencia’s form had slumped and Aimar seemed to have lost a lot of his previous confidence. A move to Real Zaragoza could only be interpreted as a sign of desperation for a player so recently accustomed to finishing on top of the league, and within two seasons the club was relegated and Aimar’s time in Spain was effectively over. Five years with Benfica were to follow, but Aimar’s best years were all too clearly behind him and his name was inevitably added to the list of players who have been described as the new Maradona but failed to train on and fulfil their potential.
That is quite a long list, beginning with Ariel Ortega and including all sorts of players who neither resemble Maradona nor play in the same position, so even Juan Sebastián Verón was occasionally mentioned in dispatches. Finding the new Maradona is almost a sport in itself, or possibly a party game, like pinning the tail on the donkey. Even though Messi has emerged as unquestionably the best player Argentina has produced since the golden boy, the game is not over. People argue that Messi has achieved nothing of note with Argentina, which happens to be true, whereas Maradona led his country in some style to a glorious World Cup win.
Should that make a difference? Is it Messi’s fault that Argentina never seem to get their act together on the international stage these days? Do we have to wait for another World Cup win and possibly even a Hand of God goal before declaring the quest for a new Maradona officially over? There are no real rules in this game, no certainties. All that can be said is that with 52 caps and a successful club career Aimar was at least one of the more plausible contenders, along with Juan Román Riquelme, who retired in January.
It remains to be seen whether Messi and the present Argentina generation can finally end their wait for a major prize – even Maradona was critical of the Barcelona player following the latest Copa América disappointment against Chile – and some of the newer candidates for world acclaim such as Sergio Agüero, Ángel Di María and Ezequiel Lavezzi are still establishing themselves to a greater or lesser degree.
Aimar burned brightly for a short time in Europe, not setting the world on fire perhaps but impressing observers with his subtle impact, winning friends and matches with a game based on natural style and elegance of movement. He inspired genuine affection as well as admiration, not least in eminent judges like Maradona and Messi. He did not reach their standards of success, not everyone can, but like all truly talented players he made the game look easy and natural.
If one wanted to take a harsh view, it could be said his career ultimately failed to live up to its early promise, both the effortless, boyish charm he exuded at River Plate and the initial years of success with Valencia. But that would be wrong, a mistake akin to dismissing him as the latest failed Maradona. The fact that many refuse to accept Messi as the new Maradona shows how silly that game is. Aimar may have suffered his share of disappointments over the years but nothing about his career suggested failure.
Comments (…)
Sign in or create your Guardian account to join the discussion