In the absence of competitive figures and the internal crisis between Axel Kicillof and Máximo Kirchner, sectors of the PJ began to consider the president of Boca Juniors as an electoral alternative.
It is an irony for the partner of Boca, as the club has not won that trophy since 2007, when Román was still a player. Meanwhile, the focus remains on the internal reelection scheduled for next year, with the milestone of November 28 in Montevideo as a key date for his political future.
The national political scene is witnessing a new display of desperation from populism. In light of the profound crisis of figures facing the Justicialist Party (PJ) and the irreconcilable internal disputes between Governor Axel Kicillof and the leader of La Cámpora, Máximo Kirchner, the strategists of the Peronist "laboratory" have set their sights on an outsider to try to retain power in the Province of Buenos Aires ahead of the 2027 elections.
The original option of using Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia crumbled under the weight of reality: the head of AFA is currently under investigation by the Justice and his public image is at its worst, being insulted in almost every stadium across the country. In this void, the name of Juan Román Riquelme emerges, whose management at Brandsen 805 reflects the same vices that Kirchnerism has imprinted on the State: a questioned administration and a concerning collection of sports failures.
The ties of Riquelme with the structure of the PJ are not new; rather, they are part of a systematic construction. In 2012, the then-mayor of Tigre, Sergio Massa, invited him to the inauguration of a sports complex in Don Torcuato, initiating a relationship that culminated with Massa's "support" for his candidacy in 2019.
Currently, the club is virtually colonized by the hardest sector of Kirchnerism. Santiago Carreras, former manager of YPF during the disastrous presidency of Alberto Fernández, is now the club's press chief. Additionally, during the 2023 campaign, Riquelme was seen marching escorted by columns of La Cámpora mobilized by the mayor of Quilmes, Mayra Mendoza, and the then-minister Gabriel Katopodis.
However, the leap into provincial politics depends on a factor that seems elusive for the leader today: sporting success. Sources close to the Peronist setup admit that for the president to be "viable," the team must win titles, noting that “if it's the Libertadores, even better”.
The shadow of corruption also looms over this management. Walter Klix, National Director in the government of Javier Milei, has initiated a complaint for fraudulent administration against the current leadership. The case has compelling evidence presented on a USB drive and the possible testimony of 100 witnesses before prosecutor Carlos Vasser.
As Riquelme decides whether to deepen his commitment to the PJ, the internal opposition begins to group together. Names like José Beraldi, Horacio Paolini (who presented 12 axes to organize the club), Fran Quintana, and Klix himself are already positioning themselves to confront the Kirchnerist model at the club.
The fate of Boca and the ambitions of the PJ today seem tied to the same fate: a management that tries to hide its shortcomings with mystique but runs out of arguments in the face of a lack of management and the advance of justice.
