Juan Sebastián Verón broke his silence and took down the AFA, the mobster Chiqui Tapia, its executives, and Argentine football.

Juan Sebastián Verón reignited the dispute with the Argentine Football Association and made it clear that his position is unwavering. From City Bell, where he gave an extensive interview to Clarín, the president of Estudiantes de La Plata warned that the club "will not kneel", directly targeted the power concentrated by the governing body of Argentine football, and denounced an intimidating atmosphere.

His most critical remarks were reserved for the disgraceful Pablo Toviggino. He described him as a threatening figure and expressed his concern about what lies ahead: "What worries me is the club because Toviggino was threatening toward Estudiantes. So, what does 2026 hold for us? Will there be good things or bad things? (…) I have never seen Toviggino set foot in a club. If he wants, we're waiting for him here".

He even went further and acknowledged that he doesn't rule out adverse sporting scenarios: "I don't see it as far-fetched that they might want to send Estudiantes to relegation. I see it as something that could happen".

That tension with the authorities, for him, is linked to a system he considers harmful. "My anger is with the football system", he said when analyzing the structure of the sport in the country. In that regard, he spoke about the leadership of the infamous Claudio ""Chiqui"" Tapia and was direct: "With us, Tapia acted like a dictator". He maintained that questioning decisions seems to have immediate consequences: "If I see something and I have to raise a criticism, I do it. Why can't I do it and why does every action immediately bring another to put a foot on your head and threaten you? (…) They will not bring the club to its knees. That will not happen".

Within that context, he also referred to the sanction for the guard of honor to Rosario Central, an episode he considers part of a larger scenario. He was categorical when referring to the disciplinary ruling: "Madness. Ridiculous. Something I can't wrap my head around". La Brujita also confirmed that Estudiantes will appeal the decision and that they're ready to go as far as the CAS: "We're going to go to the last consequences".

Regarding the guard of honor itself, he justified the squad's position: "We had to do the guard of honor because we were forced to", he said, and described as unacceptable what happened with the honorary title that suddenly became a cup: "A championship came out of that. I can't say "oh, it's fine, it's nothing." No. Because it's not fine at all".

He also hinted at suspicions about the official bulletin that established the protocol: "There's something to that. They were just looking to sanction us". He supported the revelation by the River executive, Ignacio Villarroel, regarding the process that led to the new cup: "It happened just as he described (…) There was no vote, there was nothing".

When the conversation shifted to the future of Argentine football, Verón focused on the need for investment and planning. He explained that clubs require capital to grow: "If you want your club to grow, you need investment. (…) You don't necessarily have to be a corporation; you can even create your own system". However, he warned that internal resistance to change is due to the preservation of power: "Because it's about maintaining the status quo. It's about keeping clubs captive by throwing them crumbs".

He detailed that Estudiantes conducted a due diligence to organize its business proposal: "Today we know what we have as a product". He emphasized that investment, if it comes, must be considered for the long term: "In a major investment, there must be a significant period for the investor to recover the money".

He also spoke about the identity of Argentine football and what, in his view, is being lost: "We want to resemble something we'll never be". He downplayed the jibes about his past in Europe: "If they call me "English"… I laugh out loud. Now I even feel sorry for the one who says it".

In political matters, he thanked the support of president Javier Milei ("Expressions of support are always good"), however, he clarified that he has no partisan involvement: "I don't talk to politicians unless it's for something related to the club". He rejected any interpretation that places him as part of an external strategy: "If they think I'm an envoy to break with AFA, they're watching the wrong movie".

Although he admitted that more than once he thought about stepping aside, he stated that he continues to move forward to demonstrate a different way of leadership: "You have to show them through your management". He concluded by highlighting that the partnership with the true fans of Argentine football is total: "Even with Gimnasia fans. Which means that we made a good decision, despite the cost".