Lanús president slams Estudiantes’ guard of honour, reveals AFA vote | OneFootball

Lanús is still celebrating their triumph in the Copa Sudamericana, but their president, Nicolás Russo, did not shy away from the big controversy of the weekend: the guard of honor that Estudiantes gave to Rosario Central. In a conversation with Radio Mitre, the executive was critical of what happened, once again backed the title awarded to the Canalla, and described how the vote that caused so much commotion in the AFA took place.

Russo, emboldened by the Granate’s international victory, recalled how he experienced the gesture that took place at the Gigante de Arroyito stadium. Although he started with a lukewarm “I’m not going to comment on that,” he immediately admitted: “I didn’t like it.” He then explained his position: “When a team becomes champion, we try to give them a plaque and welcome them as they deserve.” His message was direct and clearly distanced himself from Pincha’s decision.

The executive also revisited the vote that crowned Rosario Central as league champion, a topic Estudiantes cast doubt on through a statement claiming that “there was no vote.” The president detailed how the process unfolded: “I was in Paraguay on Wednesday and on Thursday one of our executives was at the league meeting. He called me about Central’s championship and we told him we supported it. There was a vote and no one opposed it, it was unanimous.” He also emphasized that the inclusion of the topic in the agenda was not planned: “It had been discussed, but not that it would be addressed that day.”

He also referred to Sebastián Verón and the internal contradictions within Estudiantes: “I have great respect for Verón, I’ve met with him several times. But there’s a mistake at Estudiantes: their representative in the league votes one way and then Verón says another. I advised him: he should participate in the meetings. If you don’t agree with something, you have to oppose it and that’s it.”

In the final part of the interview, Russo spoke about his relationship with the most influential executives in Argentine football. “With Tapia, with Toviggino, and even with Grondona, I’ve had serious discussions. I’m friends with Tapia. Today the AFA is organized economically and administratively. The process with the national teams and youth squads is very good. From the clubs, we always try to boost revenues,” he concluded.

Amid the Granate’s celebrations for a historic title, Russo made it clear that he doesn’t look the other way when the landscape of Argentine football comes into debate. His stance on the guard of honor, the vote, and the internal issues at Estudiantes has reignited a discussion that promises to remain on the agenda.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.