President of Estudiantes, Juan Sebastián Verón, stated he is not surprised by the sanction received from the Argentine Football Association (AFA), a measure that, in his interpretation, seeks to 'silence, discipline, and send a message to others.' In an interview with Radio Rivadavia, the former footballer confirmed he will remain at the club's helm, as 'the club needs it' and 'the people support him.' According to Noticias Argentinas, Verón remained firm in his stance of not regretting the 'corridor' incident for Rosario Central, explaining it was a spontaneous reaction to the obligation to pay tribute. He also addressed a tweet from a director about a possible relegation threat in 2026. The Estudiantes executive emphasized his commitment to a different vision of football, rooted in the essence and values of the clubs. 'I wasn't born on a soccer field, I wasn't brought from somewhere else, I wasn't formed there, and I had a different career,' Verón stated, highlighting his connection to the sport since childhood. He criticized what he sees as an appropriation of a football that should belong to the members. 'Nowhere in the world does a tournament have nine champions in a year.' 'You're downplaying what football means, how beautiful it is,' he added. Furthermore, he lamented the decline of Argentine football, evidenced by the lack of infrastructure for clubs. When asked about the suspension of President Javier Milei's trip for the World Cup draw, Verón interpreted that the head of state 'does not agree with everything that is happening' in the football sphere. Likewise, he thanked Milei for placing the Estudiantes jersey in his office, considering it a gesture 'in favor of what we are fighting for' and what football means for the Argentine people and clubs. Regarding the statements by Patricia Bullrich, who claimed that 'Verón is with the real fan, Tapia with the caste and the mafia as always,' the president of Estudiantes avoided labeling people but agreed that Argentine football can and should improve in many aspects. Verón concluded his intervention by pointing out the need to 'stop now' the practices he considers harmful to the sport, reiterating his refusal to be an 'accomplice' to dealings about which he is not properly informed. 'That spirit of football has to be there, they can't take away from us what the clubs have,' he affirmed with conviction. The footballer considered that the attempt to force Rosario Central to create a 'corridor' was part of a broader context where 'it cannot be the same to win a tournament or not to win it,' and he stressed that if the effort of players and clubs 'is set aside and has no value,' the competition is distorted. The president of Estudiantes was blunt in pointing out the illogic of some decisions: 'Nowhere in the world does something like that exist.'
