Juan Sebastián Verón

Juan Sebastián " Bruja " Verón ( born March 9, 1975 in La Plata) is an Argentine football player with an Italian passport and son of Juan Ramón Verón.

Currently he is working as sports director and player for Estudiantes de La Plata.

Career

Verón started his career as a professional soccer player in Argentina at the Club Estudiantes de La Plata, after which he played for CA Boca Juniors.

For the season 1996/97 he moved to Europe, where he was obliged by Italian club Sampdoria. After two years he spent around 17 million euros for AC Parma, where he played only one season, but won the Italian Cup and the UEFA Cup. The end of 1999 he left the club and moved for a transfer fee of 30 million euros to SS Lazio, where he probably played his best football and played a key role in ensuring that Lazio won the championship, the Cup and the Supercup in 2000.

After a total of five seasons left Verón Italy and moved to almost 43 million euros to Manchester United. After two years with the Red Devils, he was obliged from Chelsea for around 22 million euros. For Chelsea however Verón completed only a handful of games. Overall, his time in England is to be evaluated negatively because he could not meet with Manchester still at Chelsea in his expectations. Due to the high transfer fees that were paid to him, he is at two clubs as transfer flop.

After the 2003/ 04 season he went on loan back to Italy to Inter Milan. There Verón has been improved again and win with Inter several titles. In the match for the Italian Super Cup in 2005 against Juventus he scored the only goal of the game. In summer 2005, he signed permanently at Inter until 2007.

However, he returned in 2006, returned to South America and moved to his home country of Argentina: Verón signed for his boyhood club Estudiantes de La Plata. In the same year he was elected to the Argentine Footballer of the Year.

In 2008, Verón reached with his club the final of the Copa Sudamericana, the South American edition of the Europa League. However, Estudiantes was defeated by the SC Internacional. For Verón won with Estudiantes in the following year, the Copa Libertadores, the South American version of the Champions League. Verón was honored for the best players in the finals. Previously, the fans of Estudiantes had to wait 39 years on the trophy - the last triumph still Veron's father Juan Ramón Verón was in the squad of the Argentinean Association.

Thanks to this success, Estudiantes qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup 2009., Where Verón came with his club to the finals, but where the Argentine team drew the short straw against FC Barcelona. Verón was chosen behind Lionel Messi as the second best player of the tournament.

In the years 2008 and 2009, Verón also prevailed in the vote of the Uruguayan newspaper El País to South America's player of the year. Pele put it in 2004 to the list of the best 125 living soccer players (FIFA 100).

In October 2011, Verón was known to want to end with the end of his active career. However, he ran for Estudiantes in 2012.

At the end of the season 2011/12 Verón was end of his career and was known sports director at Estudiantes de La Plata. On July 19, 2013 he announced his comeback as playing sports director at Estudiantes de La Plata.

Game style

Verón acts mostly as a playmaker, but can also be used on the right and left half position in midfield. The player has a hard, placed shot, as well as a good overview that it provides both its strength and pass through his tactical skill on the defensive to the test.

Achievements

Internationally

  • UEFA Cup: 1998/99
  • UEFA Super Cup winner: 1999
  • Copa Libertadores: 2009

National

  • Italian Cup Winners: 1998/99, 1999/2000, 2004/ 05, 2005/ 06
  • Italian Champion: 1999/2000, 2005/ 06 *
  • English Champion: 2002 /03
  • Argentine champion: 2006 ( Apertura ), 2010 (Apertura)
  • Italian Super Cup winner: 2000, 2005

* Awarded as a result of the Italian football scandal 2005/2006

Awards

  • South America's Footballer of the Year: 2008, 2009
  • Argentine Footballer of the Year: 2006
  • Player of the Month (England): September, 2001
  • Silver Ball of the FIFA Club World Cup: 2009
  • FIFA 100
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