Leonardo Ponzio has long been an idol for River fans and that love for millionaire fans was demonstrated in a monumental stadium packed to fire him. But the now former midfielder has also garnered praise from those who stand on the sidewalk in front of him and have a blue and gold heart, as in the case of former president Mauricio Macri.

The founder of Together for Change highlighted his human quality beyond footballing virtues and affirmed it when he was president of Boca Juniors he tried to hire him to the young man who had done very well at Newell’s and who finally went to European football.

“I want to say goodbye to Ponzio, a great player. As president of Boca I wanted to bring it before it went to Europe, I was not wrong. In addition to being professional and successful, a great person. Congratulations on the race and congratulations to River, ”Macri wrote on Twitter.

Macri was president of Boca for 13 years and during his tenure at club xeneize he won 16 titles, including 4 Libertadores Cups and 2 Intercontinental Cups with epic victories over Real Madrid and Milan.

It was in 2002 that Macri set his football fanatic eyes on Ponzio, who was just 20 at the time and distinguished himself from Newell’s.

“The day I sell Riquelme I buy Leonardo Ponzio”, said Macri in those days. The relationship with the ultimate xeneize idol was already strained and Roman was finally sold to Barcelona in July.

There was also a negotiation between Macri and the much-questioned leper president Eduardo López, but in the end there was no agreement and Ponzio continued in the Rosario club until 2004, when he was transferred to Zaragoza in Spain.

Ponzio, 40, had a farewell on Tuesday evening like that of other millionaire idols such as Beto Alonso, Enzo Francescoli, Ariel Ortega and Fernando Cavenaghi.

The now agricultural producer is the footballer who has won the most titles with the River shirt, raising 17 trophies.