Estudiantes president Juan Sebastian Veron received a six-month ban after allegedly ordering his players to turn their backs on champions Rosario Central during a pre-match guard of honour as a form of protest.
According to a report from Reuters, Estudiantes de La Plata president Juan Sebastián Verón and the club’s starting players have been handed suspensions by the Argentine Football Association (AFA) after refusing to form a guard of honour for Rosario Central.
The controversy began when Rosario — declared league champions following a rule change that granted the club the title based on having the highest combined points in the Apertura and Clausura tournaments — were due a customary honour at the start of the Clausura last-16 match against Estudiantes.
Instead of the expected gesture of respect, the Estudiantes players turned their backs on Rosario as they entered the pitch, a silent protest rejecting the legitimacy of the championship awarded under the new regulation.
In response, the AFA Disciplinary Tribunal imposed a six-month ban on Verón covering all football-related activities.
Meanwhile, the players involved each received a two-match suspension.
The federation also ensured the punishments would be administered in such a way that they do not coincide, “so that the measure does not affect the integrity of the current competition.”
The heavy-handed sanctions mark one of the most significant disciplinary actions in recent Argentine football, illustrating the seriousness with which the AFA treats displays deemed to undermine respect for competition, regardless of underlying controversy over rule changes that decided the championship.
As the saga unfolds, all eyes will be on whether Estudiantes will appeal the decision or accept the sanctions.