Verón slams Conmebol for axing Independiente: "They took the easy way" | OneFootball

The president of Estudiantes stood up for the Argentine team after the entity that runs football on the continent removed them from the Copa Sudamericana following incidents against Universidad de Chile.

After Conmebol eliminated Independiente from the Copa Sudamericana as punishment for the incidents that occurred in Avellaneda in the second leg of the round of 16 against Universidad de Chile, the president of Estudiantes, Juan Sebastián Verón, questioned the ruling: "They chose the easiest way".

In a story he posted on his Instagram account after the ruling was announced on Thursday night, the Brujita wrote: "Very hard to understand how they came to make such a decision... and I do not justify any kind of violence eh, but everything is very unfair".

The Argentine team not only was left out of the competition, but will also have to pay a fine of 250 thousand dollars, while the team from across the Andes will move on to the next stage to play against Alianza Lima, behind closed doors and at the Coquimbo stadium.

It should be noted that the leadership, with Néstor Grindetti as the highest authority, does not rule out appealing to Conmebol (or even going to the TAS). The intention would not be to appeal the sporting aspect, but the other sanctions regarding the presence of the public (they will not be able to play with the public in the next seven matches) and the economic fine. A meeting with the lawyers is expected first thing this Friday to analyze the next steps.

This is not the first time that the head of the Pincha has taken a stand against the entity that runs South American football because in 2022 he was very harsh with the Uruguayan referee Andrés Matonte, who at the behest of VAR had disallowed a goal by Luciano Lollo for an alleged offside position of Jorge Morel in the second half of the second leg of the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals against Athlético Paranaense.

"CONMEBOL doing what CONMEBOL does, no matter when you read this", he first wrote on his networks and then, in some heated audios, he let off steam: "I know you guys, you come to rob us in the face. Coward, faggot, snitch, it's going to come back to you. For being a jerk, a faggot and a snitch. I played football for twenty years, I know you well".

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