Gignac stuns in Boca’s iconic kit, wearing Román’s shirt | OneFootball

André-Pierre Gignac, the historic French goal scorer for Tigres of Mexico, was seen wearing a Juan Román Riquelme jersey.

André-Pierre Gignac, a key figure in French football and the top scorer in the history of Tigres UANL, became a trending topic after playing a casual match in Monterrey wearing a retro Boca Juniors jersey. The 40-year-old forward chose for the occasion the blue and gold jersey with the number 10, the same one Juan Román Riquelme wore in his last season as a player for the Argentine club. The image of the Tigres idol in the xeneize colors sparked a wave of reactions on social media and revived memories of his failed signing with the club from La Ribera.

The episode took place at the amateur club Benarami, a few days after Tigres' defeat against Toluca in the final of the Liga MX Clausura Tournament. Gignac's presence on the field wearing the Boca Jrs. jersey did not go unnoticed by fans on social media, who quickly viralized the images of the match. The gesture was interpreted as a nod to the Argentine club and its fans, especially since it was the jersey from the 2013/2014 season, the last one worn by the current president of the institution before leaving the club he loved to play his final year as a professional footballer with Argentinos Jrs.

It is important to remember that in 2019, Gignac was close to becoming a reinforcement for the Xeneize. At that time, the Argentine club, under the presidency of Daniel Angelici and with Nicolás Burdisso as manager, made a formal offer to the French forward. Gignac acknowledged that the proposal was serious and that he found it attractive, but explained that his decision to stay with Tigres was due to personal and sporting reasons. “The offer from Boca was very serious. I did not want to disrespect Boca, because it is a great club and I love that club. But I had not scored my 105th goal. Besides, I said in several interviews that I wanted to retire at Tigres,” expressed the attacker who scored more than 350 goals in his career in an interview with the Mexican media Gran Reforma.

“They made the effort for my contract. I was going to earn the same as here, so I wasn't losing anything. It was perfect, but I have said several times that I wanted to end my career at Tigres. I had the chance to win the Libertadores, have my revenge and Boca's against River, because they lost the final a year before,” mentioned the footballer about his failed move to the Xeneize and the possibility of facing Marcelo Gallardo's team again, after the defeat in the 2015 Copa Libertadores final.

“The institution can be arranged, but what do I tell the people. I am not a traitor and I cannot do that. It would be a betrayal to them who have supported me from the beginning,” concluded the Frenchman about the support he received from the fans since he arrived at the Mexican club.

Gignac's career backs up his status as a legend both in Europe and Mexico. He began his professional career at FC Lorient, where he debuted in 2004 and contributed to the team's promotion to Ligue 1. After a notable stint with Pau FC, he established himself at Toulouse, where he became the top scorer of the French league in the 2008/09 season with 24 goals. His performance led him to Olympique de Marseille, a club with which he played five seasons, scored 77 goals in 188 matches, and won two League Cups and a French Super Cup.

In 2015, Gignac arrived at Tigres UANL, where he became an absolute idol. With the Monterrey team, the French forward has won five Liga MX titles, a Concacaf Champions League, a Campeones Cup, and four Campeón de Campeones trophies. He surpassed the 200-goal mark and became the top scorer in the history of the club and Monterrey football. Additionally, he holds the record for goals in the Clásico Regio and has been awarded the Golden Ball for the best player in Liga MX.

Internationally, Gignac represented the French national team 36 times, scored 7 goals, and participated in the 2010 World Cup and the 2016 European Championship, where France reached the runner-up position. He also joined the Olympic team in Tokyo 2020, adding four goals in the tournament.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.