Estudiantes chief Juan Sebastian Veron and players banned after Rosario guard of honour refusal

Martin Macdonald

• 28 Nov 2025 04:45 CST
• 3 min read

Nieuws

Estudiantes president Juan Sebastian Verón has been banned from football activities for six months as the fallout from the club's backwards guard of honour for Rosario Central continues.

This month, the Argentina Football Association made an unprecedented decision to change league rules before the campaign had finished.

A decision was made to award the championship to the club with the most combined points from the two phases of the league - Apertura and Clausura. Rosario won with 66 points ahead of Boca Juniors and that led to outrage among other clubs, especially Rosario's rivals, Estudiantes.

Usually, the club with the most combined points only wins a place in the Copa Libertadores, while the true league champions are decided via a knockout phase.

Bizarrely, the knockout phase, which Rosario aren't in, continues despite the fact they have already been crowned champions. The knockout phase is now for what is called the 'Champions Trophy'.

Last week, Argentina's FA created a new trophy with no warning, gave it to Rosario Central and made Estudiantes give a guard of honor. The players turned their backs in protest 🇦🇷

The AFA has now banned all 11 players for two games next season. Wild 😳pic.twitter.com/dHore9kFw5

— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) November 27, 2025

Veron and players banned

After Rosario were awarded the title they soon played Estudiantes, who were ordered to provide a guard of honour for the champions.

Instead, the players waited until the Rosario stars started walking out and then turned their backs, refusing to do that guard of honour.

That was presumably under the orders of Veron, who has been banned from acting as club president for six months.

Each of the players who took part in the refusal have also received two-match bans which will activate next season.

The AFA stated that the suspended players will not all be banned for the same match so that their absence "does not affect the integrity of the current competition".

Santiago Nuñez has also been stripped of the club captaincy for three months.

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