Leandro Paredes returned to Boca Juniors and was thrilled in front of a Bombonera with 50,000 fans who renewed their hopes.

"Thank you for coming back," the words that flow from the mouth of the president, Juan Román Riquelme , remain suspended in the air of a press room packed like never before. The roar of the people can already be heard in the corridors of the Bombonera, of some 50,000 Boca fans who, on a July afternoon, decide to put aside their responsibilities and go to the stadium to witness the most anticipated return of the last decade: Leandro Daniel Paredes returned to the club, at 31 years old, physically and footballingly in good shape, mentally strong and mature. And he did it for love of Boca. That's why Riquelme thanks him.

Paredes' return elevates Argentine football because the three and a half years of his contract with Boca could have been spent continuing in Europe or seeking a destination with fat wallets and exotic landscapes. But Paredes, a top footballer in Italy and the starting five for the Argentine national team, chose with his heart —his own and his family's. He decided to return to the country after 11 years and also with the ambition of making history at the club that formed him, of which he is a fan, and from which he left at a very young age after a handful of matches and five goals that are still remembered.

"I'm a much more mature player than the one who left," he says. Paredes, with his blue eyes, doesn't avoid the gaze. In the front row are Camila Galante, his partner, and his daughter Victoria, the eldest of the couple's three children, who is joined by Giovanni and Lautaro, who is just a few months old. "It's hard not to get emotional," says Paredes, who also admits that his family had a lot to do with his decision to return to Argentina and Boca Juniors.

Paredes' return to Boca Juniors is one of the most resonant in recent times in Argentine football. It coincides with that of Ángel Di María to Rosario Central , and those of Juan Sebastián Verón to Estudiantes and Maxi Rodríguez to Newell's also go down in history, but in review it's difficult to find a comparison that lives up to what was experienced on Boca's pitch. Only Diego Maradona's return in 1995, or Martín Palermo's in 2004, Riquelme's in 2007, and Carlos Tevez's in 2015. But except for Apache, none filled the pitch exclusively to be embraced by the fans as happened this Thursday with Paredes. "I was afraid of whether people would come or not," he had admitted at the press conference, minutes before walking out onto the Bombonera turf.

"Hand in hand with Leo Paredes, we're all going to turn around," they sang from the three packed stands while cell phone flashes flickered to add more light and color to the party Boca had thrown on their pitch to welcome their prodigal son. "I'm driven by feelings and love. I'm back to experience the madness of the Boca world. I hope I can give back some of the love you've given me. Come on, Boca, motherfucker," the player retorted, and the Bombonera erupted in cheers.

The fans needed a change, something to shake off the monotony and negativity of the last six months. The Club World Cup allowed them to change their outlook and get excited after the matches against Benfica and Bayern Munich. But there was also a bitter feeling after the draw with Auckland City. Paredes arrived and already changed the fans' mentality: "Obviously, it's very easy to say the goal is the Copa Libertadores. But we have to take it step by step. We have to get well and win as many titles as possible," he warned, paraphrasing Mostaza Merlo to ask for patience.

In that sense, he also clarified that he's just returned from vacation and will have to get in shape for his debut. And although the plan is for him to be there on Friday the 18th in the second matchday of the Clausura against Unión, his debut could be delayed until Matchday 4, when Miguel Ángel Russo's team hosts Racing. "That will be up to the coach to decide," he replies with a smile when asked if he'll play as a five or a little higher. And in the front row of the conference room, Russo bares his teeth, while Riquelme sips a mate next to him.

He also says he would "love" to be Boca's captain , that he spoke with Rodrigo Battaglia and thanked him for giving him the number 5. He confesses that he speaks every day with Di María, the other world champion who returned to Argentine football. He also speaks "with all the kids on the national team," who celebrated his return to Boca. He also mentioned that Lionel Scaloni gave him his support and that playing for Boca won't hurt his chances of playing in next year's World Cup.

What's clear is that another reinforcement hasn't arrived at Boca Juniors. He's a key player, and the rest of the club's players will line up behind him. It's a footballing coup, but also an emotional and even political one: the Football Council led by Riquelme, often disparaged by a section of the press, has landed one of the brightest stars of its administration after signings such as Pol Fernández, Marcos Rojo, Darío Benedetto, Chiquito Romero, Edinson Cavani, Ander Herrera, and Alan Velasco, among others. This isn't an assessment of individual performances, but rather the specific weight of each signing.

Paredes returned home, to the club he joined as a child and left as an adult. He stepped onto the grass of Boca Juniors' pitch again and was overcome with emotion, tears running down his face as the crowd gathered around him. He also visited the fans and handed out autographed soccer balls in the courtyard of Riquelme's house . At the press conference, he had winked at him and asked him to lend them to him "for these three years." "A little longer," Román corrected him. Paredes has already felt the warmth of the fans and will seek to make the stadium his temple, like his body, which has the facade of La Bombonera tattooed on his chest.