BUENOS AIRES, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Argentina playmaker Juan Roman
Riquelme announced his international retirement on Wednesday at the
age of 28, citing family reasons.
Riquelme, an elegant midfielder whose performances have split
critics down the middle, said he had taken the shock decision
because of his mother, who has been suffering from health
problems.
'Since the World Cup, my mother has been taken to hospital twice
and my responsibility is to take care of her,' said Riquelme.
'It was an easy decision to make. My family comes before the
football,' said Riquelme, who captained the team which lost 3-0 to
Brazil in a friendly this month, their first under new coach Alfio
Basile.
'It will hurt me deeply not to wear the Argentina shirt again but
my mother's health comes first,' said Riquelme, who quit the team
at an age when most players are at their peak.
Riquelme said he feared criticism of his Argentina performances may
have worsened his mother's health.
'There's been a lot of bad blood and I don't want to make her
suffer,' he said.
'My mother is my mother and I can't compare her with the Argentina
shirt or anything else.'
Riquelme, who plays his club football in Spain for Villareal, won
37 caps in an international career which spanned nine years.
Riquelme's admirers say he can control the pace of a game and prize
open tough defences with his incisive passing. Critics say he
drifts out of games and has been found wanting on the big
occasion.
He was left out of the 2002 World Cup by coach Marcelo Bielsa but,
four years later, he was the central figure in Jose Pekerman's team
which reached the quarter-finals in Germany before losing on
penalties to the hosts.
Although he played majestically in the opening games against Ivory
Coast and Serbia & Montenegro, against whom he was named man of
the match after the 6-0 rout, he faded against Germany and was
substituted.
Riquelme began his club career with Boca Juniors, before joining
Barcelona in 2002. He failed to settle and moved to smaller Spanish
club Villareal.
After winning the World Youth Cup with Argentina in 1997, he made
his full international debut the same year.
However, he played intermittently until Pekerman took charge in
October 2004.
Riquelme said he had told Basile of his decision. 'My duty was to
tell him and thank him for picking me for the first game,' he
said.
'It was a very short chat. I told him what I thought and he
understood.'
