Juan Ramon Riquelme hopes a reurn to Boca Juniors can revitalize his career. (JUAN MABROMATA/AFP/Getty Images).

Like a married man who can't seem to break things off with his mistress, Juan Roman Riquelme finds himself back in the welcoming arms of Boca Juniors.

Boca was held to a 1-1 draw at home by Rosario Central this past weekend as Riquelme, widely regarded as the greatest Argentine playmaker of his generation, made his return to the famous Buenos Aires club where he first shot to fame.

Riquelme left Argentina five years ago to play in Spain - he originally signed with Barcelona who then shipped him off to Villareal after one season - but he's back home after Villareal agreed to send him to Boca on a six-month loan.

The 50,000 fans who jammed into La Bombonera, Boca's home stadium, gave the 28-year-old midfielder a rapturous reception even though he looked short of match fitness against Rosario and failed to make any kind of impression.

"The public gave me a good welcome," Riquelme told reporters after the game. "I've missed everything, there's nothing like Boca's stadium. It's the only place in the world when they sing for the whole game and the pitch moves.

"Today was my first game for two months. … I know I wasn't at my best and I can play much better."

Five years ago, Riquelme left Argentina as one of the brightest young stars in the game, having led Boca to three league championships, two Copa Libertadores titles, and an Intercontinental Cup, and being named South American Player of the Year in 2001.

Riquelme was elegance personified, dubbed 'the lazy magician' during his first tenure at Boca because of his unhurried and languid style of play. Riquelme made up for his lack of pace with deft ball control, visionary passing and an ability to orchestrate and organize the attack with flawless precision. When he was at his best, he could single-handedly dictate the pace of a game.

Before his arrival in 2003, Villarreal was a modest club, but Riquelme transformed the team into one of the top powers in the Spanish league over the next two years, scoring bags of goals, creating loads of scoring chances for his teammates and becoming a hero to the fans who packed El Madrigal Stadium every week just to watch him play.

Riquelme had a breakout season in 2004-05, scoring 15 goals and leading Villarreal to a fourth-place finish and qualification for the Champions League, the first in the club's history. With Riquelme leading the way, the tiny Spanish outfit went on a memorable run in the competition, before losing a heartbreaker to Arsenal in the semifinals last April.

A year after that heartbreaking loss - Riquelme missed a penalty shot in the 89th minute that would have sent the game into overtime - the Argentine is considered persona non grata by Villareal. For all the magic he created on the field, Riquelme also caused the team plenty of headaches: he routinely skipped training sessions whenever he wanted, came back to Spain late following extended holidays in Argentina and refused to play after suffering what many insiders claimed were dubious "injuries."

Club president Fernando Roig could no longer hold his tongue and recently criticized Riquelme in public, calling him a prima dona and blasting him for no longer being able to conjure his old magic as Villareal slipped to 13th place in the Spanish first division.

It was one thing for Villareal to turn a blind eye to Riquelme's selfish behaviour when it was challenging Barcelona and Real Madrid for the la liga title. Quite another when it's sitting in the bottom half of the Spanish league standings.

Pushed out the door by Villareal, Riquelme's career has come full circle, as the prodigal son is back at Boca.

Maybe a return to his homeland and the club that first nurtured him to stardom is just the kick in the pants he needs to get his career back on track. It certainly worked wonders for Juan Sebastian Veron, another brilliant Argentine midfield ace who has never been quite the same since leaving Italian club Lazio for Manchester United in 2001.

After toiling in Europe the past few seasons, Veron decided to escape the suffocating demands of the European game and return home. It proved a wise move: buoyed by Veron's inspired play, Estudiantes de La Plata won 11 of its last 12 games to overtake Boca in the standings and claim the 2006 Apertura title, its first in 23 years.

His reputation rehabilitated, Veron is now on the cusp of being recalled to Argentina's national team for the first time in almost four years by new manager Alfio Basile.

Other star South American players who had less-than-stellar stints across the pond, only to return home to find success again, include Sebastian Battaglia, Martin Palermo, Hugo Ibarra and Marcelo Salas.

Chances are that in six months, we'll be able to add Juan Roman Riquelme to that list.