Gignac stuns in Boca and Román’s iconic 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 all-time top scorer in the history of Tigres UANL, became a trending topic after playing an informal match in Monterrey while sporting a retro Boca Juniors shirt. The 40-year-old striker chose for the occasion the blue and gold number 10 jersey, 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 transfer to the club from La Ribera.

The episode took place at the amateur club Benarami, just a few days after Tigres lost to Toluca in the final of the Liga MX Clausura Tournament. Gignac’s presence on the field in a Boca Jrs. shirt did not go unnoticed by fans on social media, who quickly made the images of the match go viral. The gesture was interpreted as a nod to the Argentine club and its supporters, especially since it was the 2013/2014 season jersey, the last one worn by the current club president before leaving his beloved team to play his final year as a professional footballer at Argentinos Jrs.

It’s 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 striker. Gignac acknowledged that the proposal was serious and that he found it attractive, but explained that his decision to stay at Tigres was due to personal and sporting reasons. “The offer from Boca was very serious. I didn’t want to disrespect Boca, because it’s a great club and I love that club. But I hadn’t scored my 105th goal yet. Also, I said in several interviews that I wanted to retire at Tigres,” said the striker, who has scored more than 350 goals in his career, in an interview with the Mexican outlet 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’ve said several times that I wanted to end my career at Tigres. I had the chance to win the Libertadores, to have my revenge and Boca’s against River, because they lost the final a year before,” the footballer mentioned 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 club can be managed, but what do I say to the people? I’m not a traitor and I can’t do that. It would have been a betrayal to those who have supported me from the beginning,” concluded the Frenchman about the support he received from fans since arriving at the Mexican club.

Gignac’s career backs up his legendary status both in Europe and Mexico. He began his professional career at FC Lorient, where he debuted in 2004 and helped the team achieve promotion to Ligue 1. After a notable stint at Pau FC, he established himself at Toulouse, where he became the top scorer in the French league in the 2008/09 season with 24 goals. His performance led him to Olympique de Marseille, where 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 side, the French striker has lifted 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. He also holds the record for most goals in the Clásico Regio and has been awarded the Golden Ball for best player in Liga MX.

At the international level, Gignac wore the French national team jersey 36 times, scored 7 goals, and participated in the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2016, where France finished as runners-up. He also played for the Olympic team at Tokyo 2020, scoring four goals in the tournament.

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