Juan Sebastián Verón facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Juan Sebastián Verón
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Verón with Estudiantes de La Plata in 2017
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| President of Estudiantes de La Plata | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 4 October 2014 – 2020 |
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| Preceded by | Enrique Lombardi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Martín Gorostegui | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| President of Estudiantes de La Plata | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 6 April 2024 – Incumbent |
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| Preceded by | Martín Gorostegui | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born |
Juan Sebastián Verón
9 March 1975 La Plata, Argentina |
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| Occupation | Footballer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Juan Sebastián Verón (born 9 March 1975) is a famous Argentine former professional football player. He is currently the chairman of Estudiantes de La Plata, a football club where he also played.
Verón was known as "La Brujita" (The Little Witch). This nickname was a tribute to his father, Juan Ramón Verón, who was called "La Bruja" (The Witch). His father was also a successful player for Estudiantes. In 2004, Verón was chosen by Pelé to be on the FIFA 100 list. This list included 125 of the greatest living footballers.
Verón played as a midfielder. His career began at Estudiantes in Argentina. He then played for several big clubs in Italy and England. These included Lazio, Inter Milan, Parma, Manchester United, and Chelsea. He won many important titles with these teams. In 2006, he returned to Estudiantes and played there until he retired in 2014. He even made a short comeback in 2017.
For his country, Verón played 72 games for the Argentina between 1996 and 2010. He scored nine goals. He also played in three FIFA World Cup tournaments.
Contents
Club Football Journey
Starting at Estudiantes
Juan Sebastián Verón started his football journey with Estudiantes de La Plata in 1993. In 1995, he helped his team get back into the top Argentine league, the Argentine Primera División. The next year, in 1996, he moved to Boca Juniors. He played 17 games and scored four goals there, playing alongside the legendary Diego Maradona.
Later in 1996, he moved to Europe. He joined Sampdoria in Italy.
Playing in England
After playing well in Italy, Verón moved to Manchester United in England in 2001. This was a very big transfer at the time. He signed a five-year deal.
His first season at Old Trafford started well. He even won the Premier League Player of the Month award in September 2001. However, as the season went on, he found it harder to adapt to the very fast pace of the Premier League.
In his second season, his performance improved, especially in the UEFA Champions League. He scored four goals in this competition. But injuries meant he missed many games towards the end of the season.
In 2003, Verón moved to Chelsea for a fee of £15 million. He scored in his first game for Chelsea against Liverpool. However, he again faced injury problems and only played 15 games for Chelsea that season.
Back to Italy
In 2004, Verón was loaned to Inter Milan in Italy. He stayed there for two seasons. With Inter, he helped the team win the Coppa Italia twice (in 2005 and 2006). They also won the Supercoppa Italiana in 2005 and the Serie A title in 2006.
Coming Home to Argentina
In 2006, Verón decided he wanted to return to his home country, Argentina. He chose to play for his childhood club, Estudiantes de La Plata. He was a big fan of the club and had even helped them by donating money for training facilities.
On 13 December 2006, Verón helped Estudiantes win the Apertura 2006 tournament. This was their first league title in 23 years! He was considered one of the best players in the Argentine League that year.
Verón also played a big role in helping Estudiantes update their historic stadium. He even spoke with the Argentine president to help make this happen.
In 2009, Verón led Estudiantes to the final of the Copa Libertadores. This competition is very special for Estudiantes, as his father had won it three times with the team many years ago. Verón's dream came true when Estudiantes won the final, beating Cruzeiro from Brazil. He was chosen as the best player of the 2009 Copa Libertadores.
Verón was also named the South American Footballer of the Year twice, in 2008 and 2009. This is a very important award for players in South America.
Returning from Retirement
In December 2016, Verón decided to play professional football again! He signed an 18-month contract to play for Estudiantes in the 2017 Copa Libertadores. He had promised to return if fans bought enough special seats at the club's new stadium. He kept his promise and even gave his salary back to the club to help with daily costs.
Playing for Argentina
Verón played for the Argentine national team from 1996 to 2010. He played in three FIFA World Cup tournaments.
He was part of the squad for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. Argentina reached the quarter-finals. He also played in the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan.
In 2007, he was part of the Argentine team that reached the final of the 2007 Copa América. He was also chosen for the 2010 FIFA World Cup squad in South Africa. He played in several matches, including the first group game against Nigeria, where he helped set up a goal.
Verón officially retired from international football in August 2010.
After Playing Football
In December 2012, Verón returned to Estudiantes in a new role. He became the Director of Sports for the club. This meant he helped manage the club's sports activities. He did this job without getting paid.
He later became the president of Estudiantes de La Plata in 2014, a role he held until 2020. He became president again in 2024.
Personal Life
Juan Sebastián Verón comes from a football family. His father, Juan Ramón Verón, was also a famous Argentine football player. His father even scored a goal against Manchester United many years ago.
Juan Sebastián was born on the day his father was playing a big derby match for Estudiantes. His son, Deian Verón, is also a professional footballer, continuing the family tradition.
How He Played
Verón was a very skilled and versatile midfielder. He was known for being a playmaker, which means he was great at creating chances for his teammates. He could play in different midfield roles.
He was strong, athletic, and worked very hard on the field. He had excellent technical skills, great vision, and could pass the ball very well. He also had a powerful shot from far away. Verón was also very good at taking free kicks, often bending the ball into the net.
Honours and Awards
Verón won many titles and awards throughout his career:
Estudiantes
- Primera División: 2006 Apertura, 2010 Apertura
- Copa Libertadores: 2009
- Primera B Nacional: 1994–95
Parma
- Coppa Italia: 1998–99
- UEFA Cup: 1998–99
Lazio
- Serie A: 1999–2000
- Coppa Italia: 1999–2000
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2000
- UEFA Super Cup: 1999
Manchester United
- Premier League: 2002–03
Inter Milan
- Serie A: 2005–06
- Coppa Italia: 2004–05, 2005–06
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2005
Individual Awards
- Premier League Player of the Month: September 2001
- FIFA 100 (one of the greatest living footballers)
- Footballer of the Year of Argentina: 2006, 2009
- South American Footballer of the Year: 2008, 2009
- Copa Libertadores Most Valuable Player: 2009
- FIFA Club World Cup Silver Ball: 2009
Images for kids
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Verón in training with Inter Milan, 2005
See also
In Spanish: Juan Sebastián Verón para niños
