Pablo Aimar

1995/2000 River Plate (ARG) 82 games, 21 goals

2001/06 Valencia CF (ESP) 217 ​​games, 34 goals

(Spanish League: 162 games, 27 goals)

(Spanish Cup: 11 games)

(Spanish Super Cup: 2 games)

(Champions League: 24 games, 4 goals)

(UEFA Cup: 16 games, 3 goals)

(UEFA Super Cup: 1 game)

2006/08 Real Zaragoza (ESP) 57 games, 5 goals

(Spanish League: 53 games, 5 goals)

(Spanish Cup: 3 games)

(UEFA Cup: 1 game)

2008/13 Benfica Lisbon (POR) 179 games, 17 goals

(Portuguese League: 107 games, 12 goals)

(Portuguese Cup: 14 games, 1 goal)

(Portuguese League Cup: 18 games, 1 goal)

(Portuguese Super Cup: 1 game)

(Champions League: 19 games, 1 goal)

(UEFA Cup: 20 games, 2 goals)

2013/14 Johor Darul Ta'zim (MYS) 8 games, 2 goals

2015 River Plate (ARG) 1 game

2018 Estudiantes RC (ARG)

With the National Team :

52 caps, 8 goals

(Friendly matches: 16 caps, 2 goals)

(World Cup qualifiers: 21 caps, 4 goals)

(World Cup: 6 caps)

(Copa America: 5 caps, 1 goal)

(Confederations Cup: 4 caps, 1 goal)

1st cap: June 8, 1999 against Mexico (2-2)

Last cap: October 10, 2009 against Peru (2-1)

U20: 7 caps, 1 goal

U17: 6 caps, 2 goals

Pablo César Aimar Giordano

Born November 3, 1979 in Rio Cuarto (ARG)

Argentinian, central midfielder, second striker, left-winger, 1m70

Nicknames: "El Payaso", "El Mago"

Born in 1979 in Rio Cuarto in Argentina, Pablo Aimar is one of these brilliant number 10s that Argentina has seen grow up. Diego Maradona will even say in 2001: "Pablo Aimar is the only player for whom I would pay a ticket to the stadium."

The young Argentinian started in the professional world at 16 and a half years old playing for the prestigious club River Plate. With a midfield composed of Matias Almeyda, Ariel Ortega and Marcelo Gallardo, the Argentinian club will gradually let Pablo Aimar play until giving him a regular starting spot.

Nicknamed "El Payaso", or the clown, he will play alongside Javier Saviola with whom he forms a magnificent duo, winning the Under-20 World Cup together in 1997. Together they won the 1999 Argentine championship during a season where he scored a few free kicks and made several magnificent lobs.

Excellent in technical play, he has a magnificent quality of ball but also a perfect ball control, capable of putting magnificent little points. Lionel Messi will say: "My idol of always is Pablo Aimar. I love his way of playing all in finesse, all in technique, without ever overdoing it. I am inspired a lot by him when I play."

In 2001, Pablo Aimar joined Europe and more precisely the club of FC Valencia for the sum of 24 million euros. From the moment he arrived, the player shone under the orders of Hector Cuper. At the heart of a squad without superstars, he became this player for whom one turns on his television, this magnificent and whimsical player. He introduced himself wonderfully at the forefront of a midfield supported by the young strategists of the house, Ruben Baraja and David Albelda with whom he was associated for five seasons. Other experienced leaders completed the midfield, two masters in the management of the game, the sentinel Didier Deschamps and the artist Gaizka Mendieta.

As a playmaker, he shone and led his club to the final of the Champions League 2001, which he unfortunately lost on penalties. But the adventure does not end with this feat, he won the Liga in 2002 and 2004, a feat when you think that there is FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. But Valencia becomes one of the best clubs in the world at this time, driven by its solid squad.

The peak of his career collectively comes in 2004, after winning the Liga, he also wins the Europa League and shows the extent of his talent, whether in a diamond or triangle midfield. Almost all of Valencia's attacks go through him. He deploys often starting from the center circle, distilling the game with this mixture of short passes and long play that reduces the opposing defenses to vapor. He focuses attention to better free his teammates and controls the tempo of a match with disconcerting maturity.

Unfortunately, the sequel was less glorious, the player was injured repeatedly and when he reached the end of his contract with Valencia FC, he was not extended and he signed with Real Zaragoza. There, the injuries continued and the club was unfortunately relegated. However, the player kept an undeniable talent, so he was recruited by Benfica Lisbon where he found Javier Saviola.

In Lisbon, he won a Portuguese championship and 3 Portuguese League cups. He continued to amaze the spectators on the pitch and managed to play matches in a row. He also played 19 Champions League matches with Lisbon and 20 Europa League matches.

When he was only 33 years old, he signed to everyone's surprise with the Johor Football Club club in Malaysia. Then he returned to Argentina to play one last match with his first club, River Plate. Pablo Aimar will forever remain this irregular player, but so brilliant, transcendent, inspiring and intelligent.

With the Argentine national team, he will have played 52 matches for 8 goals and 7 assists. Once again, Pablo Aimar was not a player of statistics, he was a genius of the round ball, a player who makes us vibrate by his touch of the ball, by his flashes of genius.

- Winner of the EFE Trophy in 2006

- Top passer in the Champions League in 2003 (5 assists) (Valencia CF)

- Bronze Ball of the Under-20 World Cup in 1997

- Named to the South American Team of the Year in 1999 and 2000

- Voted Benfica Lisbon Player of the Year in 2011

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