Juan Sebastián Verón’s career can be summed up as a reel of highlights. A career spanning 20 years,full of highs and lows. But one thing was common,he showcased his talent whenever he played,wherever he played. La Brujita cast his spell in Argentina,Italy as well as in England, albeit a short period of time. Very few players can come close to matching Verón's creative prowess.
Verón was born to former Argentina striker and championship winning player with Estudiantes,Juan Ramón, the day Ramón played a derby for Estudiantes against cross-town rivals Gimnasia. Verón was nicknamed La Brujita or “The Little Witch” after his father who was also called as La Bruja or “The Witch” during his playing days. Veron’s uncle, Pedro Verde, played for English club Sheffield United and Verón always dreamt of following his uncle’s footsteps, hoping to play in England one day. When Verón decided to play professionally, his father tried to garner help from one of his former clubs Panathinaikos in order to get Verón signed. However, after a short trial with them, they decided that he was not good enough for their team.Eventually, Verón joined Estudiantes de La Plata as a youth. The Pincharrata midfielder started out as a forward in the lower leagues and progressively started playing in defence. But as time elapsed, he was being used as a midfielder,a role which he would eventually grace.Verón helped the team to return to the Argentine Primera División in 1995. In 1996, he joined Argentina’s most successful team Boca Juniors, playing 17 games and scoring three goals, alongside Argentina great Diego Maradona. The same year, he made his international debut for Argentina against Poland.
His abilities did not go unnoticed and the then-Sampdoria manager, Sven-Göran Eriksson brought him to Europe. It was Italy where Verón developed as a player and further build his reputation as a menacing midfielder.He showcased his talent as a complete, influential, and versatile midfielder. He could function as a playmaker; or as an attacking midfielder, in the centre, or just in front of the defensive line as a deep-lying playmaker. He developed his ability to orchestrate the tempo of his team's play and his team's attacking moves from deeper positions, got forward and score goals, and often functioned in a free role. A strong, athletic, tenacious, hardworking, and physical player with a typical Argentine temper, he was gifted with pace, good footwork, and excellent technical ability, as well as outstanding vision and passing range, also possessing a powerful shot from distance. Moreover, he was accurate at taking set pieces, known for his powerful, bending free-kicks.
In 1998, after representing Argentina in the World Cup, Verón signed for Parma in a £15-million deal. The next year he helped the club to win the Coppa Italia and the UEFA Cup. Having spent two years at Parma, his Italian adventure continued as his former manager Eriksson,signed him again, this time for Lazio in a £18.1 million deal. He made his debut for the Italian league outfit in a 1–0 victory over Manchester United in the European Super Cup, in Monaco. Sporting a shaven head, an earring, plus a tattoo of Che Guevara, Verón became a bearded playmaker mastering Serie A with his accurate passing and bullet free kicks. 2000 was a milestone year for Verón as he helped Lazio clinch the Scudetto after 26 years,adding the Coppa Italia and the Italian Super Cup the league glory. During his time at Lazio, the Argentine did not hesitate in his aggressive temper and often spoke his mind out,be it for being sent off for fighting with Francesco Totti or as Sven Goran Eriksson would know, Verón's criticism of his selection and tactics after Lazio were beaten in Europe by Feyenoord.
Hello Manchester United
After the 2000–01 season, it was time for England. Verón joined Manchester United for a fee of £28.1 million on a five-year deal, becoming the most expensive transfer in English football. Sir Alex Ferguson signed Verón eyeing him as a formidable athlete, blessed with pace and technique, who would probably slot in alongside Roy Keane in central midfield. Keane could never be dismissed as a mere ball-winner, but his abrasiveness made him the ideal foil for Verón. He had a decent start to his career in Manchester, having scored four goals in his first nine league games and also winning the player of the month awar. His finest performances for United came in the Champions League. His driving run from the heart of midfield, one-two with David Beckham and the 25-yard chipped finish against Olympiacos in 2002 was one tantalising glimpse into his extraordinary potential. However, the faster pace of the Premiership did not help his cause as he was not allowed the same space and time on the ball. His fitness problems and struggles with injuries made it even more difficult for him to carry on performing over the course of the season. Even though he went on to win the Premier League with Manchester United in 2003, Verón came under intense criticism from the press and Manchester United fans, which provoked one of Sir Alex's famous outbursts to the journalists at the press conference.
"He is a f**king great player, and you're all f**king idiots"
Ferguson, however, later admitted Verón did have his struggles to cope in England.
'’Juan Verón was capable of exceptional football and was talented. But, at times, he found the Premiership a bit difficult. He was a European player and that was where we got our best form from him”
Dwelling on his time in England,Verón admitted England was not the place where he could express his talent.
“The pre-season preparation was very different to Italy, where we'd do all the running pre-season. In England, there was running every day. I liked the atmosphere in training and the lads were great, people like Ryan Giggs were kind to me. But I found the football hard to adjust to and there were so many games throughout the year. Games were intense for 90 minutes. In Italy, it was more tactical and about closing down the games. In England, the games were more open, the ball came back and forward. It was more physical too.”
It was during his time at Manchester United that Verón captained Argentina in the 2002 World Cup in a campaign where "la albiceleste" were beaten by England and knocked out in the first round, Argentina's worst World Cup performance since they failed to qualify in 1970. Verón was targeted personally as being responsible for the abysmal performances by the fans. Verón was omitted from the next World Cup (2006), only to return back for La Albiceleste under coach Diego Maradona for the 2010 World Cup.
Things became awry for La Brujita at Manchester United. It reached out to a point where even Sir Alex, who throughout Veron’s spell had backed the midfielder to come strong, had doubts about his future. Verón wanted to stay at Old Trafford and fight for his place but it was not to happen as Claudio Ranieri eventually persuaded Sir Alex and he was sold to Chelsea for almost half the price that he came in England. But, his Chelsea career was just as unconvincing. Having scored on his debut for the Blues at Anfield against Liverpool, Verón went on to represent Chelsea in only 15 games.The arrival of José Mourinho saw Verón being loaned out to Internazionale in 2004–05, but he extended his loan for further two seasons. With Inter, he won the Coppa Italia two years running, and also 2006 Serie A title which was awarded to Inter after Juventus were stripped of the title for a match fixing scandal.
In 2006, Verón made it clear that he wished to return to his native Argentina. He could have gone for a huge payday playing in the MLS or playing for some obscure middle eastern club like other great players reaching the end of their prime years (Beckham, Henry, Batistuta), instead he decided to return to Estudiantes for the love of the club. Having received big offers from Boca Juniors and River Plate, he chose to play for his boyhood club Estudiantes de La Plata once again. Chelsea agreed to loan Verón to Estudiantes for a season, until the end of his contract. His love for Estudiantes was evident from the fact that he made significant donations in the past to upgrade the club training facilities. Verón played a key role in updating Estudiantes' historic stadium to modern standards. Verón personally engaged then Argentine president Néstor Kirchner to kick-start the negotiations, which had been stalled by La Plata mayor Julio Alak. At Estudiantes, he helped the club win the Apertura 2006 tournament after almost 23 years, in a final play-off match final over Boca Juniors. Verón was ranked among the top three players in the 2006 Argentine League by sports newspaper Olé.
Verón still had to cope with fitness issues at Estudiantes. He also in the meantime continued to interest many MLS clubs, but the midfielder decided to stay put in Argentina. The Copa Libertadores was a special competition for Estudiantes and its fans, with Verón's father having contributed in the club’s 3 Copa Libertadores titles in 1968-70. Verón wanted to replicate his father’s efforts to clinch the most prestigious title in the American continent, as evidenced by his declaration before the final:
"I would trade everything I've won for this title."
His dream came true as Estudiantes won the final, after an aggregate win of 2–1 over Cruzeiro. Verón was chosen by visitors to fifa.com as the best player of the 2009 Copa Libertadores. Verón also won the South American Footballer of the Year in 2008 and 2009 , a title that is cited worldwide. His career underwent a renaissance, he was even called up by Diego Maradona to the Argentina squad after years of exile.
In early 2012, Juan Sebastian Verón was presented as a new player of the Asociación Coronel Brandsen, this created uproar in La Plata. His cousin, Pedro Andrés Verde, was playing at the club which was one of the reasons Verón accepted the offer. After a fantastic campaign, the group led by Hernan Bonvicini, Juan Sebastian Verón and Pedro Verde, won the tournament organized by the Amateur League Platense. On the last day of the competition, a wonderful goal by Verón allowed Brandsen to beat Las Lomas by 1–0.
In December 2012, Verón returned to Estudiantes to work as Director of Sports of the institution. In a press conference, the president of the club, Enrique Lombardi, stated that Verón will not receive any money for his service at the club. Having called it curtains on his playing career in 2014, Verón made a comeback in late 2016. He had promised that he would return for the 2017 Copa Libertadores if fans bought 65 per cent of boxes at the club's new stadium and he lived up to it. The Argentine put pen to paper on an 18-month deal, and decided to donate all his wages directly back to the club for everyday operations. He made his first appearance for the club since coming out of retirement in a 1–0 friendly victory over Bahia in the Florida Cup, in Orlando, in January 2017, playing the first half. Estudiantes defender Julian Marchioni was impressed by the playmaker's showing and said:
“Verón is the same as always, he didn't misplace a pass. It's something incredible.”
After so many high points and equally low junctures in his career, Verón‘s affinity for his hometown club speaks volumes of a man, who for certain, will be remembered as one of the finest footballers.
If still active and in his prime today, Verón would surely be as highly spoken of as current midfield metronomes such as Andrea Pirlo and Xavi has in recent years. He would have slotted in perfectly in all of Europe’s big clubs, and although successful in his career, one cannot help but wonder if he was born ten years too early. The memories live on and the presence of Youtube makes sure Juan Sebastián Verón lives on forever and continues to inspire young footballers to play like the pass master from La Plata.