Alexis Mac Allister recalled his departure from Boca and strongly criticized Riquelme.

Usually keeping a low profile, Alexis Mac Allister decided to speak about his brief time at Boca and his early departure from the club, a very sensitive chapter in his career.

In an article for The Players Tribune, the World Cup winner with the Argentina National Team recalled that his departure, in mid-2019, was determined by Juan Román Riquelme, then head of the Football Council, amid the change in management following the electoral victory of Jorge Amor Ameal, Mario Pergolini, and Riquelme himself.

"It was a dream to be at Boca. I wanted to stay and enjoy those six more months, but since the loan had no option, the directors didn't want me to stay," explained the midfielder, who had arrived from Brighton on a one-year loan.

He added about the decision: "The person who made the decision was him, who was my idol. I grew up admiring him because on the field he was the best player there was.  Imagine how difficult it was to go through all that."

Although this time he chose a more moderate tone, Mac Allister had already publicly questioned Riquelme in 2020, when he accused the club of using his departure for political purposes due to his father Carlos Mac Allister's ties with Mauricio Macri.

At that time, he stated that Boca was asking for a million dollars for him to continue, that he never spoke with coach Miguel Ángel Russo or with Ameal, and that he only had dialogue with Riquelme.

Another Mac Allister against Riquelme

The former player and father of the midfielder, Carlos Mac Allister, also showed himself to be very critical of Riquelme's management. A few weeks ago, he questioned Mauricio Serna, Raúl Cascini, and Marcelo Delgado, members of the now-dissolved Football Council, calling them "the most expensive cadets in Argentina" and stating that Riquelme always makes the important decisions.