In a dispute that goes beyond sports and once again exposes the tensions within Argentine football, President Javier Milei publicly came out in support of Estudiantes de La Plata after the gesture by the team, which decided to turn their backs in the protocol corridor to Rosario Central, recently designated as League champion by the AFA.
From his X account, the president posted: "Honor to Don Osvaldo's School", accompanied by a Pincha jersey. The phrase alludes to Osvaldo Zubeldía, the legendary coach who marked an era by winning three Copa Libertadores and the 1968 Intercontinental Cup against Manchester United. That team featured Carlos Bilardo—a figure admired by Milei and a pillar of his self-defined "bilardismo"—and Juan Ramón Verón, father of the club's current president, Juan Sebastián Verón.
The presidential message came after it became known that the AFA Disciplinary Tribunal opened a case against Estudiantes players for their behavior before the match on November 23, accusing an alleged breach of the protocol of tribute set forth in the Official Bulletin of February 12, 2025. According to the document, the body acted ex officio "due to the behavior assumed" by the team in the corridor intended to receive the champion.
As part of the process, AFA granted 48 hours to the Estudiantes Board of Directors, to Verón, and to captain Santiago Núñez to submit a statement. In addition, all the players who participated in the gesture must be notified to exercise "their right of defense" and report whether they received specific instructions. The text warns that if they do not appear within the stipulated period, the Tribunal will nevertheless rule "with the evidence on record."
