Juan Sebastián Verón spoke after the new title that Estudiantes won last Saturday in the Clausura tournament against Racing and before the next final that will be played this Saturday 20 at 6 p.m. against Platense for the Champions Trophy. The red-haired president, who was suspended by the AFA for six months, took aim at 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, like the “witch” Verón, were suspended by the AFA. In this sense, the leader and former football player assured that “it is not the same as receiving it as a gift.”
Regarding the imposition of the AFA to get the Central players in the way and the refusal of the Estudiantes team, Verón assured: “How are we supposed to be there? It’s easy to make others part of what you want to do.”
And he expressed: “If we talk about disrespect, then in this case the tournament is disrespectful when you have a tournament that is not. It starts at the top, you have to think about things because you also expose your players, you get something that is not up to par and wasn’t there because someone thought of it or because you feel like it.”
“There is a lack of respect for everyone who fights to win a star. Afterwards, the players warned about what would happen and the reality is that what was done was not directed against anyone. There is a threat of wanting to force someone to do something that was never in the regulations. Behind the corridor there is also the meaning of respect, honor, representation, but it is ultimately about something that will ultimately be distorted. If we want to give honors or recognition of what was voted on, that’s fine. But when.” The cup was discovered, there was a star. Are we all crazy?
And he added: “The meaning of the championship was the same until a certain event during the semester. After that, it started to take on a different meaning, not only for us but also for the football fan, because the meaning that sport and football have in all this is questioned. It does not have the same meaning as the decisions, a title, how it should be done or how it was carried out. That gives values.”
About the decision to turn his back on him during the hallway, the witch said: “I spoke to José (Sosa) and as a player I explained to him my point of view, what it means to the player, to the people, what you fought for and what 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 this place and that’s wrong. Everything has a much more important meaning. It’s not the title, but.” The sign and what you feel and intend is the signal you need to send to the outside world. From then on they decided that it was communicated to headquarters and you can’t give him a title, but it doesn’t matter if you win a star or if someone thought of it.
The president of Estudiantes also addressed Agremiados and the statement he made against the red-headed team: “When they need it, they call you and bring 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 damaged. Nobody has expressed solidarity with the boys. It was not against Central, if they took it that way, we apologize. The message even went about it about something else.” although I believe that was not the case. I think the tournament is not good, we can all see that. We play in the final with Platense, who haven’t played for a month and a half and stopped without playing. The coaching staff and almost the entire team changed.”
After criticizing the structure of the league and the games, he spoke about the reasons why he no longer took part in the committee meetings: “I took part from 2014 until the creation of the Super League. Then everything was decalibrated and I dedicated myself to my club, I had to do the state.” “I have no power, I don’t owe anyone anything, I can walk down the street calmly. They can harass me, but I have a clear conscience. And then we suffer a public threat. We have to be very careful 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: “Behind closed doors it had an important impact. Far from being a victim, the reality is that everywhere people supported him and continued despite knowing that we were doing something. Then we turned to the TAS and we will see how it goes.”
“Instead of us shrinking or falling, it gave us a reason. The club came together, things like that happen.
Finally, Verón emphasized that there must be fewer teams in the tournaments and that in order to maintain the Apertura and Clausura format, “we have to go with 19 or 20 teams”: “Anyone who says it’s better for the clubs doesn’t know anything about football. The clubs really have to grow. You’re now going up to ten teams, and that’s not the case.”
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