Russo hits out at Verón: Estudiantes say one thing, he another | OneFootball

Nicolás Russo, president of Lanús, took a jab at Juan Sebastián Verón, his counterpart at Estudiantes de La Plata, amid the conflicting reports and uproar in Argentine football over the title that the AFA awarded to Rosario Central for finishing first in the annual table.

Shortly after the controversial recognition of the Canalla, the club from La Plata—represented at the meeting by Pascual Caiella—publicly voiced their opposition and claimed that there was no vote. Quickly, Pablo Toviggino (treasurer of the Association and right-hand man to Tapia) and Matías Mariotto (president of Banfield) responded with their own versions. They even showed the official minutes of the ceremony.

Now, Nicolás Russo—president of Lanús—took another shot at Verón and also invited him to participate in the AFA Executive Committee. “I say that these decisions, as long as they are for the good of the clubs, must be accepted. All the clubs came out in support, except for Estudiantes. The problem with Estudiantes… I have nothing against Verón and I’m friends with Caiella. It’s a problem that goes back years,” he stated.

“I hadn’t been a club official for three years, but I said it before. Estudiantes votes one way in the Committee and Verón says something else. Not just on this issue, but on things that happened during my previous term,” added the Lanús president in an interview with TyC Sports from Asunción, where the Granate will face Atlético Mineiro in the Copa Sudamericana final.

On another note, when asked if several clubs are “afraid,” he assured that he is not afraid and has even expressed his position on different occasions. “I said in the League meeting that we need to improve TV revenues. I think Verón should participate in the League meetings, come and speak there at the meeting,” he concluded.

Additionally, Russo explained how he found out about the recognition for the Canalla: “I was already in Paraguay, because we arrived on Wednesday. I spoke with Hernán Arboleya to attend the League meeting. As soon as that happened, Hernán stepped aside, called me, and asked what Lanús’s position was. Lanús’s position was to vote in favor. It wasn’t a coincidence. We are convinced that the role of the club official, of the fans, is very difficult.”

“It’s very hard to win in football and to celebrate; there are few happy moments. This is the arrival of a tournament that rewards the one who did things best over the year. Without being champion, it’s true, but it rewarded the one who did things best during the year. It’s something for the future. We have another tournament to play and more chances for teams to win it,” he argued.

On another note, Russo mentioned other occasions where the rules were changed on the fly or new finals were created: “It happened in 2016, when we won the Tournament at River’s stadium against San Lorenzo. Víctor Blanco, president of Racing, complained because he hadn’t been champion and the final between the two clubs couldn’t be played. He protested because it couldn’t be played. We played the Bicentennial Cup. We spoke with Segura, who was the president of AFA. He gave us the OK. It was voted on in the Committee and played. The Cup wasn’t scheduled.”

“This has happened several times in Argentine football. I understand it has been done for the better. When the pandemic hit, there were relegations. I was one of those who proposed and voted to suspend relegations. I think it was the right thing to do. The clubs would have faced very serious financial problems without income. With no relegations, they got rid of the most expensive players and bet on the youngsters,” he argued.

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