Former Argentina player, Estudiantes chief Veron and team have been banned over guard of honor incident

Estudiantes de La Plata president Juan Sebastian Veron and the team’s starting line-up were suspended by the Argentina FA on Thursday after refusing to form a guard of honor for Rosario Central, who were declared champions after a rule change.

Rosario won the new title by finishing the regular season of the Apertura and Clausura tournaments with a total of 66 points.

Estudiantes players turned their backs on Rosario’s players as they walked onto the pitch for Sunday’s Clausura last 16 match, protesting their opponents being crowned champions, a title that was not in the competition’s original rules.

Under the previous regulations, the team with the highest annual points only earned a place in the Copa Libertadores, while Apertura champions Platense will face the Clausura champions, to be decided next month, in the year-end Champions Trophy.

Former Argentina and Manchester United midfielder Veron was given “a six-month ban from all football-related activities,” the AFA Disciplinary Board statement said. The players who “engaged in reprehensible conduct” were suspended for two matches, it added.

These sanctions will be served in the next tournament, allowing the players to play Central Cordoba in the Clausura quarter-final on Saturday.

The AFA also stated that the players will not all serve their bans in the same matches, so that the measure «does not affect the integrity of the current competition».

Reuters has asked Estudiantes for comment.

Published on November 28, 2025