The fight between Juan Sebastián Verón and the AFA of Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia had been vibrating at a low frequency, but in 2025 it took a leap that left all of football looking askance. The spark was that strange title, “League Champion 2025”, that the AFA decided to give to Rosario Central for finishing first in the annual table. In Estudiantes they read it as a regulatory make-up and came out to say: “There was no vote, this was hitchhiking.” The club published the statement, and that’s where the novel began.
Estudiantes just had to play against Rosario Central and, forced by AFA, had to make the champion’s hall, a custom more European than Argentine. The Estudiantes players did it, but with their backs turned, arms crossed and faces of unfriendly faces. On top of that, they eliminated Central in that game. Verón crowned the day by posting this phrase: “No one will take Estudiantes ahead.”
For this gesture of rebellion, on Thursday, November 27, the AFA disciplinary court sanctioned Verón and suspended them for six months from exercising the presidency of Estudiantes de La Plata. Added to this is that the players who turned their backs in the hallway were also sanctioned for two dates, which they must complete at the beginning of the next tournament. The players are: Micol Muslera, Román Gómez, Santiago Núñez, Tiago Palacios, Facundo Farías, Leandro González Pírez, Santiago Arzamendia, Edwuin Cetre, Lucas Piovi, Cristian Medina and Mikel Amondarain,
On the other hand, captain Santiago Núñez was suspended from serving as captain for 3 months, as it was a more important role than any player.
In a football accustomed to lowering its head, Verón chose just the opposite. And the feeling is that this does not end here: the next football date does not seem like a day on the calendar, but rather the next round.
In 2021, when Alberto Fernández’s government wanted to advance against Tapia, Verón took advantage of the situation to run for president of the AFA: Rumors said that he had even met with Máximo Kirchner to promote the idea.
The comment reached the ears of “Chiqui”, who never forgave him for the affront. They have been at odds since then.
