Nicolás 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 conflicting reports and the commotion 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 expressed 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 presented the official record of the ceremony.

Now, Nicolás Russo—president of Lanús—took another jab 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 Estudiantes. The problem with Estudiantes… I have nothing against Verón, and I’m friends with Caiella. It’s a problem that’s been going on for years,” he stated.

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

On the other hand, when asked if several clubs are “afraid,” he assured that he is not afraid and has even expressed his position on different occasions. “I raised at 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 official, of the fans, is very difficult.”

“It’s very hard to win in football and celebrate; happy moments are few. This is the arrival of a tournament that rewards the team that did the best over the year. Without being champion, it’s true, but it rewarded the team that did the best throughout 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 kicked up a fuss because it couldn’t be played. We played the Copa Bicentenario. We spoke with Segura, who was the AFA president. He gave us the OK. It was voted on in the Committee and played. The Copa wasn’t scheduled.”

“This has happened several times in Argentine football. I understand it’s 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. Clubs would have faced very serious financial problems without income. With no relegations, they let go 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.