How Boca Juniors became the most culturally relevant club outside Europe

Palermo’s two goals against Madrid were typical of a man who always stepped up for Boca in the biggest moments.

“Martin Palermo is a bonafide club legend who really embodied everything the club is supposed to be about – heart, desire and courage over talent,” Fryer says of the man Boca fans called ‘El Titan’. “You’re supposed to bleed for the Boca shirt, and Palermo suffered like nobody else.”

With 236 goals from 404 games across two stints at La Bombonera, Palermo is Boca’s all-time leading goal-scorer who possessed a resilient streak that made up for a lack of technical prowess. Boca initially signed him as a 24-year-old from Estudiantes de la Plata in 1997, and after a slow start, Palermo became a prolific marksman and fan favourite.

He wasn’t blessed with great mobility or footwork, but he was fast, strong, and fantastic in the air. Boca could always count on Palermo to be in the right place at the right time, and set a shining example with his mental toughness and unwavering dedication to the club.

That was perhaps never more apparent than on May 24, 2000, when Boca beat River 3-0 in the second leg of their Copa Libertadores quarter-final tie. Palermo had been out of action since the previous November after tearing his cruciate ligaments in a game against Colon, remarkably managing to score his 100th career goal before limping off.

Bianchi’s decision to put Palermo on the bench for the River game was seen as merely an attempt to psych them out, but he threw the towering striker on in the 77th minute, with Boca leading 1-0 but the aggregate scoreline still tied at 2-2. Palermo was visibly stiff and at times seemed to be hobbling on one leg, but he still had the final say on proceedings.

Riquelme made it 2-0 from the penalty spot in the 84th minute, and Palermo wrapped up the victory deep into stoppage time. The River defence allowed him too much space in the box to turn, and after seemingly taking an age to get in a shooting position, Palermo stroked a lovely shot into the bottom corner to score what became known as the gol de la muleta (The Crutch Goal). He ran towards the cameras sobbing uncontrollably and the referee blew the final whistle as fans ploughed their way onto the Bombonera turf to celebrate.

Palermo went on to play in Spain between 2001 and 2004, for Villarreal, Real Betis and Alaves, but a horrific freak injury prevented him from enjoying any longevity in Europe. While celebrating a goal for Villarreal, Palermo broke his leg in two places when a concrete retaining wall collapsed on him, and took almost a year to fully recover.

When he returned to Boca on the wrong side of 30, some felt it was simply to wind down his career. But Palermo silenced the doubters by scoring twice on his second league debut, and he went on to bring up a century of goals for the club in Boca’s 2-0 win over Bolivar in the 2004 Copa Sudamericano final.

In August 2006, Palermo tragically lost his newborn son, but asked to play against Banfield the following Sunday. He scored twice in a 3-0 win, breaking down in tears while celebrating both goals, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the Bombonera when he was substituted to a deeply moving standing ovation.

Palermo did indeed have to endure more suffering than most footballers could ever imagine, but he never stayed down. The 15-cap Argentina international also played an important role in Boca’s 2007 Copa Libertadores success, and he retired at the club four years later having won a total of 14 trophies with Los Xeneizes. He also added a 40-yard headed goal to his epic highlight reel in a 2009 clash with Velez Sarsfield.

Outside of his homeland, Palermo is most famous for missing three penalties in one match for Argentina – a 1999 Copa America tie against Colombia – but he will forever be a legend in Argentina. Indeed, there’s a running joke in the country that ‘God is directing his own biopic and chose Palermo to play him’, which is a lovely reference to the remarkable things that have happened to him and the profound moments he’s lived on the pitch.