Juan Sebastián Verón spoke after the new title obtained by Estudiantes in the Clausura Tournament last Saturday against Racing and prior to the next final that will be played this Saturday the 20th at 6 p.m. against Platense for the Champions Trophy. The red-haired president, suspended by the AFA for six months, targeted the organization and the title given to Rosario Central.
It is worth remembering that the awarding of the title to Canalla ended in the hallway behind the backs of the Estudiantes players, who were suspended by the AFA like the “Witch” Verón. In this sense, the leader and former footballer assured that “winning it is not the same as having it given to you.”
Regarding the imposition of the AFA to make the Central players stand in the way and the refusal of the Estudiantes team, Verón assured: “How are we going to be part of this? That was my response when they told me what happened. It seems barbaric to me to recognize Di María but not a title. It doesn’t have to make the same difference because if not, we start to disrupt things and take them where it suits me. And, if someone wants to give a title, let them take responsibility. It is easy to make others part of it. of what you want to do.”
And he expressed: “If we talk about disrespect, in this case the tournament is disrespected by delivering a tournament that is not. It starts from higher up, you have to think about things because you are exposing your players too, receiving something that does not correspond and was not there because it occurred to someone or because you feel like it.”
The crossing with Ruggeri
“There is a lack of respect for all those who are fighting to win a star. Afterwards, the players warned what was going to happen and the reality is that what was done was not against anyone. There is a threat, wanting to force someone to do something that was never in the regulations. Behind the corridor, there is also a meaning of respect, honorability, representation but it is about something that is ultimately falsified. If we want to make tributes or recognitions, which is what was voted, that’s fine. But when uncovered the Cup there was a star. Are we all crazy? “Verón continued.
And he added: “The meaning of the championship was the same until a specific event during the semester. After that, not only for us but for the football fan, it began to have another meaning because the meaning that sport and football has in all of this is called into question. The vast majority of football, almost the entire country, took part. From the genuineness of the people in wanting something different, in wanting something different. Beyond modernity and that we live in another era, football has to remain the same because it has values, it forms you. It has no the same meaning of the decisions, a title, how it was intended to be done or how it was. That gives values.”
Regarding the decision to turn her back on him during the hallway, the Witch said: “I had a talk with José (Sosa) and as a player I gave him my point of view, about what it represents for the player, for the people, what you fought for and the sacrifice you made, you left your house early, you didn’t see your family. It doesn’t matter, because they want to take you to that place and it’s wrong. Everything has a much more important meaning. It’s not the title, it’s the sign and what you feel and intend. For your career, it is the signal that must be given to the outside world. From there, they decided and I supported it, it was communicated to Central. You cannot modify something that is written and you cannot give it a title because I don’t know who it was and I’m not going to blame it, but it doesn’t matter if you win a star or if someone thought of it. football.”
The president of Estudiantes also pointed out against Agremiados and the statement he issued against the red-haired team: “When they need it, they call you and get you together and here they didn’t do it. I can’t make decisions for the captains of other teams, the claim goes somewhere else, not to us and the team is threatened and harmed. Nobody showed solidarity with the boys. It wasn’t against Central, if they took it that way we apologize. The message was about something else, even though I believe it wasn’t. “It was good. I think the tournament is not good, we all see it. We are playing in a final with Platense who has not played for a month and a half and is stopped, without playing. The coaching staff and almost the entire team changed.”
After criticizing the setup of the league and the games, he spoke about the reasons why he stopped participating in the committee meetings: “I participated from 2014 until the Super League was set up. Then everything was decalibrated and I dedicated myself to my club, I had to make the state.” “I have no power, I don’t owe anything to anyone, I can walk calmly down the street. They can harass me but I have a clear conscience. And then, we suffer a public threat. We will have to be very attentive for next year,” he added.
The AFA effect
Another point that Verón highlighted was the harsh sanction that he, the players and the coaching staff received: “It had an important effect behind closed doors. Far from being victimized, the reality is that everywhere people supported him and kept going knowing that we were doing something. Then we appealed to the TAS and we will see how that goes.”
“Far from shrinking us or bringing us down, it gave us a reason. The club came together, those things happen. We rallied behind the team, which gave the message for everyone and, ultimately, it ended up being a really important reason to be able to reach this title,” he said.
Finally, Verón maintained that in the tournaments “there have to be fewer teams” and to sustain the Apertura and Clausura format “do it with 19 or 20 teams”: “Whoever says that this is better for the clubs, does not understand anything about football. The clubs have to grow genuinely. You now go up to ten teams and that is not the case.”
