Bulletin No. 6797 of Disciplinary court Subordinate Argentine Football Association (AFA), in addition to imposing strict sanctions on Estudiantes de la Plata, its players and its president Juan Sebastian Veron, the members of the said court presented arguments, with a notary. Fernando Mitjans In the head, to justify the aforementioned penalties.
First of all, one of the first points in the “wherever” of this 20-page statement states that “Any immoral or reprehensible act or conduct constituting indiscipline, not provided for by law, will be repressed by a penalty commensurate with its nature, seriousness and circumstances, and various penalties may be applied (Article 12, Subsection 3, of the Law).”.
In other words, whether regulated or not, it is said that any “reprehensible” act, which is a purely personal matter judged according to the standards of the members of the Disciplinary Court, will be punished. So, what is so reprehensible about the behavior of Estudiantes de la Plata in making the institutional decision to turn its back on the Rosario Central footballers?
“Footballers can be situational opponents depending on the club for which they provide services, but above all, respect, chivalry and the awareness that we are all colleagues must prevail. (…) When it is appropriate to pay tribute to a team or a colleague, this gesture must be done directly and with appreciation. Turning your back distorts that moment and can convey a message that doesn’t help build the environment of respect our sport needs.” They argue in the first place.
Veron and his companions may have thought that since the way they had to walk down the aisle was unregulated, they could do it backwards without being penalized. But the bulletin explains that this is not the case: “If this is the case, it should be noted that the gallery honoring the champion club constitutes a symbolic and protocol act that embodies the values of respect and recognition of sporting merit, chivalry and fair play (…) “The essence of this work lies not in the mere physical presence of the players, but in the positive manifestation, explicit or implicit, of recognition towards those who have achieved the title on the field of play.”
They explain this in detail: “It was not the existence of the lobby or the presence of Estudiantes de la Plata players in it that was discussed, but rather the specific way in which they paid tribute: The attitude of turning the back on the champion during his entrance, adopted collectively and in the context of high public visibility, conveys the message of devaluing the sporting achievements of others. And breaking the unwritten rules of respect between institutions. This constitutes an “immoral or reprehensible act” and an “indiscipline act” according to the provisions of Article. 12, Inc. 3 of the law.”
Then, the disciplinary platform, while continuing to emphasize what the gesture is like to support Of the students, he also points out and finally condemns the issue of communication and the workings of Pincha. “Sports discipline does not ignore that clubs may disagree with organizational or organizational decisions; however, the Federal Order creates specific and institutional channels for channeling questions or claims (official presentations, appeals, observations addressed to competent bodies, etc.), and does not allow the expression of this disagreement through public acts involving Symbolic humiliation of an opponent or distortion of the rituals of respect surrounding the competition.”
Another point that was highlighted, which directs harsh accusations against Estudiantes, is found in the eleventh section of the section, where they talk about… “An almost teenage gesture of rebellion.” “The behavior analyzed here cannot be read as a mere gesture of almost adolescent rebellion against a particular decision, but rather as a deliberate act of contempt for the hero,” they say.
They rely on the fact that no leader raised his hand when the decision to award Canala the title of league champion was announced: “To symbolically ignore that result is tantamount, in effect, to delegitimizing the competitive effort of all participants, including Estudiantes de la Plata itself. Thus the arrangement was made by the Executive Committee of the Professional Football League without voices being raised against it when the proposal was submitted for consideration, including the representative of Estudiantes de la Plata, Dr. Pascual Cailla, Who was present and who, after years of representing the club in the professional football league and as a member of the AFC Executive Committee, could not ignore the internal deliberative mechanisms or institutional channels available to raise any objection.