The Last Goodbye

Pablo Aimar, at 38 years old, bid farewell in style at the club where he was born, Estudiantes de Rio Cuarto.

Pablo Aimar, at 38 years old, said goodbye to soccer tonight in an official match for the Copa Argentina, wearing the shirt that saw him grow nationally as a football player, the Estudiantes de Rio Cuarto shirt.

With Marcelo Bielsa as a special spectator, the River Plate and Argentina national team star held up physically for 50 minutes against Sportivo Belgrano de San Francisco.

“You can see River Plate's triumph over Boca Juniors in the Argentine Superclásico [VIDEO]”

#CopaArgentinaEnTyCSports Bielsa joins Aimar's farewell with a round of applause! pic.twitter.com/8fxbFyqQ94

— TyC Sports (@TyCSports) January 24, 2018

In a night full of emotions, nearly 12 thousand people who attended the Antonio Candini Stadium delighted in the flashes of talent shown by 'Payasito' (Little Clown).

#CopaArgentinaEnTyCSports First half summary of Pablito Aimar in Estudiantes (RC) vs. Sp. Belgrano 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/CgHDwWvdyW

— TyC Sports (@TyCSports) January 24, 2018

In the second half, Pablo Aimar was substituted by Bruno Sepúlveda and, as expected, the stadium stood up to applaud and chant his name at the top of their lungs.

Aimar, Lionel Messi's idol

“He is and will always be my idol,” a phrase that Lionel Messi will remember forever, was said by the FC Barcelona star. They met for the first time in December 2004 at Camp Nou: Aimar was a standout in Valencia while Messi was a substitute at Barcelona. “I was surprised, he knew who I was. His shirt was the first one I asked for, and I have it among my best memories. I always admired him, his game dazzled me, and I wanted to be a little bit like him,” said Messi after that match. They reunited in a Benfica-Barcelona match in October 2012.