Juan Sebastián Verón
Encyclopedia
Juan Sebastián Verón is an Argentinian professional football player who is the current captain and midfielder
for Estudiantes de La Plata
in the Argentine Primera División.
Verón's career started in Estudiantes, continued in Argentina's Boca Juniors
, and included stints in several Serie A
clubs (where he won the Scudetto with Lazio
and with Internazionale
, and a UEFA Cup
with Parma
), and England
's Manchester United
and Chelsea
. In 2006, Verón returned to Estudiantes, where he is team captain.
In 2004, he was included in the FIFA 100
centenary list of the 125 greatest living footballers, selected by Pelé
as part of FIFA's centenary celebrations. Verón has both Argentine and Italian citizenship
.
His nickname is La Brujita (Little Witch), a nod to his father Juan Ramón
who was known as La Bruja (The Witch) and was also a championship winning player with Estudiantes.
, who scored against Manchester United
in the 1968 World Club Championship at Old Trafford
for Estudiantes. He was born the day his father played a derby for Estudiantes against cross-town rivals Gimnasia y Esgrima
. As a boy, Verón dreamed of playing for English club Sheffield United
, as his uncle, Pedro Verde, played for the club at the time. When his son started to play professionally, his father tried to persuade one of his former clubs Panathinaikos
to sign him. However, after a short trial with them, they finally decided that he was not good enough for their team. After his transfer to Manchester United
, Verón said, "So there I was hoping to play for Sheffield United and here I am at Manchester United!"
In 1993, Verón signed for Estudiantes de La Plata
and in 1995 helped the team to return to the Argentine premiership
. In 1996, he joined Boca Juniors
, playing 17 games and scoring three goals, alongside Diego Maradona
. He made his international debut for Argentina
against Poland
in the same year. Sven-Göran Eriksson
signed him for Sampdoria
shortly afterwards.
in a £
15-million deal. The following year, Parma won the Coppa Italia
and the UEFA Cup
. Eriksson then signed him again, this time for Lazio
in an £18.1-million deal, with Verón reportedly netting a weekly wage of £48,000. He made his debut for Lazio in the Italian side's 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the European Super Cup
, in Monaco
.
In 2000, Verón was the driving force for Lazio as they captured the Scudetto, the Italian Cup
and the Italian Super Cup.
But in February 2000 he was under investigation by Italian police for a possible fake Italian passport in order to avoid the non-EU quota. However, the charge was cleared by FIGC in June 2001, because his passport really had been issued by Italian officials, and he avoided a ban. However, a new controversy was exposed that Verón and his agent may have used fake documents submitted to the Italian government in order to allege to the government that Verón had Italian descent and granted him an Italian passport
, which claimed an Italian, Giuseppe Antonio Porcella was Verón's great grand father Ireneo Portela. Manchester United even inserted a clause in the transfer document for a possible ban. In July 2002, he was called to appear before Italy's state prosecutor to answer allegations he illegally acquired an Italian passport. Elena Tedaldi, the agent who helped Verón to get the passport, was jailed for 15 months, but Verón and Sergio Cragnotti
, former Lazio president were acquitted in 2007. It is because Verón also had Italian descent through another great-grand parent, and it was Ms. Tedaldi who used the fake documents.
After the 2000–2001 season, he moved from Lazio to Manchester United on 12 July for £28.1 million in a five-year deal, the most expensive transfer in English football at that time. On signing for Manchester United, he was quoted as saying that he had no fear of the Premiership.
His spell at Old Trafford was not a great success. He had trouble adapting to the faster pace of the Premiership and was not allowed the same space and time on the ball. There was plenty of pressure on him at the start of his second season at Old Trafford and his performances did improve considerably, especially in the Champions League
, where he scored four goals and was at the heart of United's successes in the group stages. However, injury meant that he missed much of the end of the season. Questions over his performance led to an expletive laden tirade against the media by manager Sir Alex Ferguson
in support of Verón: "...On you go. I'm not fucking talking to you. He's a fucking great player. You are all fucking idiots.". However, fans and pundits alike agreed that the signing was an expensive flop.
When Chelsea
paid £15 million for him two years on following the arrival of Roman Abramovich
, Verón claimed that he wanted to stay and fight for his place at Old Trafford but Ferguson was willing to let Chelsea talk to him and he was eventually convinced by then Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri
that his future lay at Stamford Bridge
, where he had much to prove. His transfer fee to Chelsea was about half that of his record-breaking transfer of just two years before.
Verón made an excellent start to his Chelsea career by scoring the opening goal in a 2-1 victory away at Liverpool
, but he fell away as the 2003-04 season
progressed and made only 14 appearances for Chelsea.
The Times
listed Verón's transfers to Manchester United and Chelsea amongst the 50 worst transfers ever in Premiership history. His several big-money transfers made Verón the most expensive footballer in history with a cumulative total of £77 million (this was surpassed when Nicolas Anelka
went to Chelsea in 2008 taking his tally to £85 million and then again by Cristiano Ronaldo
's £80 million move to Real Madrid
, taking his total transfer fees to £92.24 million in just two transfers)
took over as Chelsea manager the following season, Verón was loaned out to Internazionale initially for 2004-05
, but he subsequently returned to Inter on loan for a further two seasons. With Inter, he was part of the squad that won the 2005 and 2006 Italian Cup
, and also by default the 2006 Serie A title after Juventus
were stripped of the title for a match fixing scandal.
and River Plate
, but chose his boyhood club Estudiantes de La Plata
, of whom he is a declared fan and has made significant donations in the past to upgrade the club training facilities. Chelsea agreed to loan Verón to Estudiantes for a season, until the end of his contract with the English club. On 13 December 2006, he helped Estudiantes win the Apertura 2006
tournament, its first in 23 years, in a final play-off match final over Boca Juniors. Some rival fans booed him, arguably dating back to his sub-par performances during the 2002 FIFA World Cup
, but Verón was ranked among the top three players in the 2006 Argentine League by sports newspaper Olé.
Following his donations to the club's training grounds, Verón was a decisive factor in the agreement with La Plata city hall to update Estudiantes' historic stadium to modern standards. Verón personally engaged then Argentine president Néstor Kirchner
to kick-start the negotiations, which had been stalled by La Plata mayor Julio Alak
. Verón indicated that he may run for Estudiantes president in the future.
Verón suffered from a string of minor injuries after his return from the 2007 Copa América, and missed a number of important games during the 2007-08 season. His fitness improved in time for the 2008-09 season, in which Estudiantes reached the finals of the Copa Sudamericana
and secured a place in the 2009 Copa Libertadores.
In July 2007, Kevin Payne
, president of Major League Soccer
club D.C. United
, met with Verón in Buenos Aires
to discuss a possible transfer, but Verón decided to stay in Estudiantes.
In early 2008, several football personalities chose Verón as the best player in the Argentine league.
In 2009, he played in the Copa Libertadores for the second time, having seen Estudiantes eliminated in the round of 16 in the previous year by eventual champions Liga de Quito. After displaying his usual excellent level of play throughout the tournament, he found himself leading Estudiantes into the final for the first time since 1971. The Copa Libertadores has long been a special competition for Estudiantes and its fans, ever since the team won three consecutive titles from 1968-1970 with Verón's father playing a key role on the left wing. Verón certainly shared this affinity for the most prestigious title in the American continent, as evidenced by his declaration before the final: "I would trade everything I've won for this title." His dream came true as Estudiantes won the final, after an aggregate of 2-1. A 0-0 tie in La Plata and a dramatic 2-1 win away in Belo Horizonte against Brazil
's Cruzeiro
sealed el pincha's triumph. Verón was chosen by visitors to fifa.com as the best player of the 2009 Copa Libertadores.
Verón was twice elected South American Footballer of the Year
(2008 and 2009) by Uruguay
an diary El País, a title that is cited worldwide.
in France
, where Argentina was eliminated by the Netherlands
in the quarter-finals. A rumour (never confirmed) that Verón had failed an internal doping test, and allegations of laziness hampered his relationship with the media and fans. He was called up again for the 2002 World Cup
in Korea
/Japan
, where Verón was regarded as a key player and captained the side in place of the injured Roberto Ayala
. Some fans held him personally responsible for Argentina's dismal performance, which included a loss to England and elimination in the group phase.
After the then national coach Jose Pekerman
omitted him from the 2006 World Cup squad, his replacement, Alfio Basile
recalled Verón to the national squad in February 2007, based on his performance in Estudiantes's 2006 championship team. Verón was a starter in the Argentine team that reached the final of Copa América 2007
. Due to injuries and Estudiantes's busy schedule, Verón did not feature in the immediate plans of national coach Diego Maradona
, but was recalled to the Argentine squad as a second half substitute in the 4-0 win over Venezuela
on 28 March 2009, Maradona's first competitive game in charge of the national team. He also played in the starting XI in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Colombia
on 6 June 2009 and was selected by manager Diego Maradona
in the final 23 man squad for the finals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup
.
Verón started Argentina's first group match against Nigeria, and provided the assist for Gabriel Heinze's goal. After missing the match against South Korea through injury, Verón returned to the starting line-up against Greece and played the full 90 minutes as Argentina won 2-0. He came on as a substitute for Carlos Tevez in the 69th minute in Argentina's 3-1 victory over Mexico in the Round of 16, but did not feature during the quarterfinal loss to Germany.
On August 26, 2010, Verón retired from International football. Nevertheless, Veron and Riquelme have been recalled to the Argentina squad by new coach Alejandro Sabella.
|1994-95||rowspan="2"|Estudiantes
||Primera B Nacional||7||0||Colspan="2"|––||Colspan="2"|––||||||||
|-
|1995-96
||Primera División||15||2||Colspan="2"|––||Colspan="2"|––||||||||
|-
|1995-96
||Boca Juniors
||Primera División||17||3||Colspan="2"|––||Colspan="2"|––||||||||
|-
|1996-97||rowspan="2"|Sampdoria
||rowspan="2"|Serie A
||32||4||||||Colspan="2"|––||||||||
|-
|1997-98
||29||2||||||Colspan="2"|––||||||||
|-
|1998-99
||Parma
||Serie A
||26||1||||||Colspan="2"|––||||||||
|-
|1999-00
||rowspan="2"|Lazio
||rowspan="2"|Serie A
||31||8||||||Colspan="2"|––||12||2||||
|-
|2000-01
||22||3||||||Colspan="2"|––||7||1||||
|-
|2001-02
||rowspan="2"|Manchester United
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||26||5||||||||||13||0||||
|-
|2002-03
||25||2||||||||||9||4||||
|-
|2003-04
||Chelsea
||Premier League||7||1||0||0||1||0||6||0||14||1
|-
|2004-05
||rowspan="2"|Internazionale
||rowspan="2"|Serie A
||24||3||||||Colspan="2"|––||10||0||||
|-
|2005-06
||25||0||||||Colspan="2"|––||9||0||||
|-
|2006-07
||rowspan="6"|Estudiantes
||rowspan="6"|Primera División||30||2||Colspan="2"|––||Colspan="2"|––||0||0||30||2
|-
|2007-08
||18||7||Colspan="2"|––||Colspan="2"|––||8||2||26||9
|-
|2008-09
||18||3||Colspan="2"|––||Colspan="2"|––||10||1||28||4
|-
|2009-10||27||4||Colspan="2"|––||Colspan="2"|––||9||1||36||5
|-
|2010-11||24||2||Colspan="2"|––||Colspan="2"|––||8||0||32||2
|-
|2011-12
||6||1||Colspan="2"|--||Colspan="2"|--||0||0||6||1
|-
159||24||Colspan="2"|––––||Colspan="2"|––––||||||||
189||21||||||||||||||||
58||8||||||||||||||||
406||53||||||||||||||||
|-
|1996||2||0
|-
|1997||8||1
|-
|1998||13||0
|-
|1999||4||1
|-
|2000||10||3
|-
|2001||8||2
|-
|2002||6||1
|-
|2003||5||1
|-
|2004||0||0
|-
|2005||0||0
|-
|2006||0||0
|-
|2007||5||0
|-
|2008||1||0
|-
|2009||6||0
|-
|2010||5||0
|-
!Total||73||9
|}
Parma
Lazio
Manchester United
Internazionale
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
for Estudiantes de La Plata
Estudiantes de La Plata
Club Estudiantes de La Plata , simply referred to as Estudiantes, is an Argentine professional sports club based in La Plata. The club's football team currently competes in the Primera División, where it has spent most of its history....
in the Argentine Primera División.
Verón's career started in Estudiantes, continued in Argentina's Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
, and included stints in several Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
clubs (where he won the Scudetto with Lazio
S.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...
and with Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
, and a UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
with Parma
Parma F.C.
Parma Football Club , commonly referred to as just Parma, is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia–Romagna that will compete in Serie A for the 2011–12 season, having finished in twelfth position last season. Founded as Verdi Foot Ball Club in July 1913, the club changed its...
), and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
's Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
and Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
. In 2006, Verón returned to Estudiantes, where he is team captain.
In 2004, he was included in the FIFA 100
FIFA 100
The FIFA 100 is a list of the world-renowned Brazilian striker Pelé's choice of the "greatest living footballers". Unveiled on 4 March 2004 at a gala ceremony in London, the FIFA 100 marked part of the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Fédération Internationale de...
centenary list of the 125 greatest living footballers, selected by Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
as part of FIFA's centenary celebrations. Verón has both Argentine and Italian citizenship
Italian nationality law
right|200pxItalian nationality law is the law of Italy governing the acquisition, transmission and loss of Italian citizenship. Like many continental European countries it is largely based on jus sanguinis. It also incorporates many elements that are seen as favourable to the Italian diaspora. The...
.
His nickname is La Brujita (Little Witch), a nod to his father Juan Ramón
Juan Ramón Verón
Juan Ramón Verón is an Argentine football coach and former professional player.-Estudiantes:Nicknamed La Bruja , Juan Ramón Verón was a midfielder and striker renowned for his technical ability. He played for Estudiantes de La Plata, who were a dominant force in Argentine football during the late...
who was known as La Bruja (The Witch) and was also a championship winning player with Estudiantes.
Biography
Juan Sebastián Verón is the eldest son of former Argentina striker Juan Ramón VerónJuan Ramón Verón
Juan Ramón Verón is an Argentine football coach and former professional player.-Estudiantes:Nicknamed La Bruja , Juan Ramón Verón was a midfielder and striker renowned for his technical ability. He played for Estudiantes de La Plata, who were a dominant force in Argentine football during the late...
, who scored against Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
in the 1968 World Club Championship at Old Trafford
Old Trafford (football)
Old Trafford is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 75,811, Old Trafford is the second-largest football stadium in England after Wembley, the third-largest in the United Kingdom and the eleventh-largest in Europe...
for Estudiantes. He was born the day his father played a derby for Estudiantes against cross-town rivals Gimnasia y Esgrima
Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata
Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata Gimnasia y Esgrima was promoted to the first division after becoming champions of the División Intermedia of Argentine football in 1915. Later, in 1929, the club would become champions of the Primera División...
. As a boy, Verón dreamed of playing for English club Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
, as his uncle, Pedro Verde, played for the club at the time. When his son started to play professionally, his father tried to persuade one of his former clubs Panathinaikos
Panathinaikos FC
Panathinaikos Football Club is a Greek professional football club based in Athens. Founded in 1908, they play in the Super League Greece and are one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Greek football history. They have won 20 Greek Championships and 17 Greek Cups.Panathinaikos is the most...
to sign him. However, after a short trial with them, they finally decided that he was not good enough for their team. After his transfer to Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, Verón said, "So there I was hoping to play for Sheffield United and here I am at Manchester United!"
In 1993, Verón signed for Estudiantes de La Plata
Estudiantes de La Plata
Club Estudiantes de La Plata , simply referred to as Estudiantes, is an Argentine professional sports club based in La Plata. The club's football team currently competes in the Primera División, where it has spent most of its history....
and in 1995 helped the team to return to the Argentine premiership
Primera División Argentina
The Primera División is a professional football league in Argentina. It is the country's premier football division and is at the top of the Argentine football league system. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Primera B Nacional. The season runs...
. In 1996, he joined Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
, playing 17 games and scoring three goals, alongside Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
. He made his international debut for Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
against Poland
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
in the same year. Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson , in Sweden commonly referred to just by his nickname Svennis, is a Swedish ex-football manager. From October 2010 to October 2011 he managed Football League Championship side Leicester City....
signed him for Sampdoria
U.C. Sampdoria
Unione Calcio Sampdoria is an Italian association football club based in Genoa. The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria...
shortly afterwards.
Italian triumphs and passport controversy
In 1998, after playing for Argentina in the 1998 World Cup, he signed for ParmaParma F.C.
Parma Football Club , commonly referred to as just Parma, is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia–Romagna that will compete in Serie A for the 2011–12 season, having finished in twelfth position last season. Founded as Verdi Foot Ball Club in July 1913, the club changed its...
in a £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
15-million deal. The following year, Parma won the Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia
The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
and the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
. Eriksson then signed him again, this time for Lazio
S.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...
in an £18.1-million deal, with Verón reportedly netting a weekly wage of £48,000. He made his debut for Lazio in the Italian side's 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the European Super Cup
European Super Cup
The UEFA Super Cup is an annual football game between the reigning champions of the two cup competitions organized by UEFA: the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League...
, in Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
.
In 2000, Verón was the driving force for Lazio as they captured the Scudetto, the Italian Cup
Coppa Italia
The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
and the Italian Super Cup.
But in February 2000 he was under investigation by Italian police for a possible fake Italian passport in order to avoid the non-EU quota. However, the charge was cleared by FIGC in June 2001, because his passport really had been issued by Italian officials, and he avoided a ban. However, a new controversy was exposed that Verón and his agent may have used fake documents submitted to the Italian government in order to allege to the government that Verón had Italian descent and granted him an Italian passport
Italian nationality law
right|200pxItalian nationality law is the law of Italy governing the acquisition, transmission and loss of Italian citizenship. Like many continental European countries it is largely based on jus sanguinis. It also incorporates many elements that are seen as favourable to the Italian diaspora. The...
, which claimed an Italian, Giuseppe Antonio Porcella was Verón's great grand father Ireneo Portela. Manchester United even inserted a clause in the transfer document for a possible ban. In July 2002, he was called to appear before Italy's state prosecutor to answer allegations he illegally acquired an Italian passport. Elena Tedaldi, the agent who helped Verón to get the passport, was jailed for 15 months, but Verón and Sergio Cragnotti
Sergio Cragnotti
Sergio Cragnotti is an Italian entrepreneur and author.One of the most high-profile and wealthy business figures in Italy in recent times, Cragnotti is best known for having been President of S.S. Lazio. However, his most influential position was as head of food conglomerate Cirio...
, former Lazio president were acquitted in 2007. It is because Verón also had Italian descent through another great-grand parent, and it was Ms. Tedaldi who used the fake documents.
After the 2000–2001 season, he moved from Lazio to Manchester United on 12 July for £28.1 million in a five-year deal, the most expensive transfer in English football at that time. On signing for Manchester United, he was quoted as saying that he had no fear of the Premiership.
Spell in England
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
, where he scored four goals and was at the heart of United's successes in the group stages. However, injury meant that he missed much of the end of the season. Questions over his performance led to an expletive laden tirade against the media by manager Sir Alex Ferguson
Alex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...
in support of Verón: "...On you go. I'm not fucking talking to you. He's a fucking great player. You are all fucking idiots.". However, fans and pundits alike agreed that the signing was an expensive flop.
When Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
paid £15 million for him two years on following the arrival of Roman Abramovich
Roman Abramovich
Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich is a Russian businessman and the main owner of the private investment company Millhouse LLC.In 2003, Abramovich was named Person of the Year by Expert, a Russian business magazine. He shared this title with Mikhail Khodorkovsky...
, Verón claimed that he wanted to stay and fight for his place at Old Trafford but Ferguson was willing to let Chelsea talk to him and he was eventually convinced by then Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri
Claudio Ranieri
Claudio Ranieri, is an Italian football manager, currently in charge as head coach of Internazionale.He has also managed many other well-known clubs in Europe, including Cagliari, Napoli, Fiorentina, Valencia, Atlético Madrid, Chelsea, Parma, Juventus and Roma.-Early life:Ranieri attended St...
that his future lay at Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge (stadium)
Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...
, where he had much to prove. His transfer fee to Chelsea was about half that of his record-breaking transfer of just two years before.
Verón made an excellent start to his Chelsea career by scoring the opening goal in a 2-1 victory away at Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, but he fell away as the 2003-04 season
2003-04 in English football
The 2003-04 season was the 124th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Arsenal completed the entire campaign without losing a single league game....
progressed and made only 14 appearances for Chelsea.
The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
listed Verón's transfers to Manchester United and Chelsea amongst the 50 worst transfers ever in Premiership history. His several big-money transfers made Verón the most expensive footballer in history with a cumulative total of £77 million (this was surpassed when Nicolas Anelka
Nicolas Anelka
Abdul-Salam Bilal on 14 March 1979) is a French international footballer, who plays as a striker for English Premier League club Chelsea. Anelka was also a regular starter for the French national team...
went to Chelsea in 2008 taking his tally to £85 million and then again by Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH, , commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger or striker for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and is the captain of the Portuguese national team...
's £80 million move to Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
, taking his total transfer fees to £92.24 million in just two transfers)
Return to Italy
When José MourinhoJosé Mourinho
José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho is a Portuguese football manager and the current manager of Real Madrid. He is commonly known as "The Special One".Mourinho is regarded by some players, coaches and critics as the best ever coach in football....
took over as Chelsea manager the following season, Verón was loaned out to Internazionale initially for 2004-05
2004-05 in English football
The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League...
, but he subsequently returned to Inter on loan for a further two seasons. With Inter, he was part of the squad that won the 2005 and 2006 Italian Cup
Coppa Italia
The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
, and also by default the 2006 Serie A title after Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
were stripped of the title for a match fixing scandal.
Returning home
In mid-2006, Verón made it known that he wished to return to his native Argentina for the 2006-2007 season. He received offers from Boca JuniorsBoca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
and River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....
, but chose his boyhood club Estudiantes de La Plata
Estudiantes de La Plata
Club Estudiantes de La Plata , simply referred to as Estudiantes, is an Argentine professional sports club based in La Plata. The club's football team currently competes in the Primera División, where it has spent most of its history....
, of whom he is a declared fan and has made significant donations in the past to upgrade the club training facilities. Chelsea agreed to loan Verón to Estudiantes for a season, until the end of his contract with the English club. On 13 December 2006, he helped Estudiantes win the Apertura 2006
2006-2007 in Argentine football
2006–07 season of Argentine football was the 116th season of competitive football in Argentina.-"Championship" playoff:Boca Juniors and Estudiantes de La Plata ended up tied in points at the end of the 19 weeks of regular season...
tournament, its first in 23 years, in a final play-off match final over Boca Juniors. Some rival fans booed him, arguably dating back to his sub-par performances during the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
, but Verón was ranked among the top three players in the 2006 Argentine League by sports newspaper Olé.
Following his donations to the club's training grounds, Verón was a decisive factor in the agreement with La Plata city hall to update Estudiantes' historic stadium to modern standards. Verón personally engaged then Argentine president Néstor Kirchner
Néstor Kirchner
Néstor Carlos Kirchner was an Argentine politician who served as the 54th President of Argentina from 25 May 2003 until 10 December 2007. Previously, he was Governor of Santa Cruz Province since 10 December 1991. He briefly served as Secretary General of the Union of South American Nations ...
to kick-start the negotiations, which had been stalled by La Plata mayor Julio Alak
Julio Alak
Julio César Alak is an Argentine politician, the former mayor of provincial capital La Plata, and currently the President's Attorney General.-Political career:Alak was born in Benito Juárez, a pampas town in Buenos Aires Province...
. Verón indicated that he may run for Estudiantes president in the future.
Verón suffered from a string of minor injuries after his return from the 2007 Copa América, and missed a number of important games during the 2007-08 season. His fitness improved in time for the 2008-09 season, in which Estudiantes reached the finals of the Copa Sudamericana
Copa Sudamericana
The Copa Bridgestone Sudamericana de Clubes , known simply as the Copa Sudamericana , is an annual international club football competition organized by the CONMEBOL since 2002. It is the second most prestigious club competition in South American football. CONCACAF clubs were invited between 2004...
and secured a place in the 2009 Copa Libertadores.
In July 2007, Kevin Payne
Kevin Payne (soccer)
Kevin J. Payne , is a U.S. soccer executive. He is currently President and Chief Executive Officer of D.C. United, Chairman of the Technical Committee and board member for the U.S. Soccer Federation, Vice Chairman of the U.S...
, president of Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
club D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
, met with Verón in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
to discuss a possible transfer, but Verón decided to stay in Estudiantes.
In early 2008, several football personalities chose Verón as the best player in the Argentine league.
In 2009, he played in the Copa Libertadores for the second time, having seen Estudiantes eliminated in the round of 16 in the previous year by eventual champions Liga de Quito. After displaying his usual excellent level of play throughout the tournament, he found himself leading Estudiantes into the final for the first time since 1971. The Copa Libertadores has long been a special competition for Estudiantes and its fans, ever since the team won three consecutive titles from 1968-1970 with Verón's father playing a key role on the left wing. Verón certainly shared this affinity for the most prestigious title in the American continent, as evidenced by his declaration before the final: "I would trade everything I've won for this title." His dream came true as Estudiantes won the final, after an aggregate of 2-1. A 0-0 tie in La Plata and a dramatic 2-1 win away in Belo Horizonte against Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
's Cruzeiro
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube is a Brazilian football team, from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Internacional. Founded on January 2, 1921, they are only one of three clubs to have participated in...
sealed el pincha's triumph. Verón was chosen by visitors to fifa.com as the best player of the 2009 Copa Libertadores.
Verón was twice elected South American Footballer of the Year
South American Footballer of the Year
The South American Footballer of the Year is an annual association football award presented to the best footballer in South America over the previous calendar year. The award was conceived by Venezuelan newspaper El Mundo, whom awarded it from 1971 to 1985. Uruguayan newspaper El País took over...
(2008 and 2009) by Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
an diary El País, a title that is cited worldwide.
Argentine national team
Verón was called up for the 1998 FIFA World Cup1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, where Argentina was eliminated by the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
in the quarter-finals. A rumour (never confirmed) that Verón had failed an internal doping test, and allegations of laziness hampered his relationship with the media and fans. He was called up again for the 2002 World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
in Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
/Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, where Verón was regarded as a key player and captained the side in place of the injured Roberto Ayala
Roberto Ayala
Roberto Fabián Ayala , nicknamed el Ratón , is a former Argentine football centre back.Regarded as one of the best central defenders of his generation, Ayala captained the Argentine national team for more matches than anyone else...
. Some fans held him personally responsible for Argentina's dismal performance, which included a loss to England and elimination in the group phase.
After the then national coach Jose Pekerman
José Pekerman
José Néstor Pékerman is an Argentine football coach and an ex-football player. He become famous as a youth level coach for Argentina, winning the FIFA World Youth Championship three times, and the U-20 South American Youth Championship twice...
omitted him from the 2006 World Cup squad, his replacement, Alfio Basile
Alfio Basile
Alfio Basile , known as Coco, is an Argentine football coach and former player.-Playing career:Basile started his playing career at the Bella Vista club in his home city. From 1964 to 1970 he played for Racing Club, and then for Huracán, where he was a mainstay of the 1973 Metropolitano champions...
recalled Verón to the national squad in February 2007, based on his performance in Estudiantes's 2006 championship team. Verón was a starter in the Argentine team that reached the final of Copa América 2007
Copa América 2007
The 2007 Campeonato Sudamericano Copa América, known simply as the 2007 Copa América or 2007 Copa América Venezuela, was the 42nd edition of the Copa América, the South-American championship for international association football teams...
. Due to injuries and Estudiantes's busy schedule, Verón did not feature in the immediate plans of national coach Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
, but was recalled to the Argentine squad as a second half substitute in the 4-0 win over Venezuela
Venezuela national football team
The Venezuela national football team is the national football team of Venezuela and is controlled by the Federación Venezolana de Fútbol. It is nicknamed La Vinotinto , because of the traditional burgundy color of their shirts....
on 28 March 2009, Maradona's first competitive game in charge of the national team. He also played in the starting XI in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Colombia
Colombia national football team
The Colombian national football team represents Colombia in international football competitions and is controlled by the Colombian Football Federation. It is a member of the CONMEBOL...
on 6 June 2009 and was selected by manager Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
in the final 23 man squad for the finals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
.
Verón started Argentina's first group match against Nigeria, and provided the assist for Gabriel Heinze's goal. After missing the match against South Korea through injury, Verón returned to the starting line-up against Greece and played the full 90 minutes as Argentina won 2-0. He came on as a substitute for Carlos Tevez in the 69th minute in Argentina's 3-1 victory over Mexico in the Round of 16, but did not feature during the quarterfinal loss to Germany.
On August 26, 2010, Verón retired from International football. Nevertheless, Veron and Riquelme have been recalled to the Argentina squad by new coach Alejandro Sabella.
Career statistics
|-|1994-95||rowspan="2"|Estudiantes
Estudiantes de La Plata
Club Estudiantes de La Plata , simply referred to as Estudiantes, is an Argentine professional sports club based in La Plata. The club's football team currently competes in the Primera División, where it has spent most of its history....
||Primera B Nacional||7||0||Colspan="2"|––||Colspan="2"|––||||||||
|-
|1995-96
Primera División Argentina 1995-96
Statistics of Primera División Argentina in season 1995/1996.-Overview:1995-1996 was the first season in which the Argentine Primera implemented the 3 points for a win system. Vélez Sársfield were double champions, winning both the Apertura and Clausura tournaments.-League Standings:-Top...
||Primera División||15||2||Colspan="2"|––||Colspan="2"|––||||||||
|-
|1995-96
Primera División Argentina 1995-96
Statistics of Primera División Argentina in season 1995/1996.-Overview:1995-1996 was the first season in which the Argentine Primera implemented the 3 points for a win system. Vélez Sársfield were double champions, winning both the Apertura and Clausura tournaments.-League Standings:-Top...
||Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
||Primera División||17||3||Colspan="2"|––||Colspan="2"|––||||||||
|-
|1996-97||rowspan="2"|Sampdoria
U.C. Sampdoria
Unione Calcio Sampdoria is an Italian association football club based in Genoa. The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria...
||rowspan="2"|Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
||32||4||||||Colspan="2"|––||||||||
|-
|1997-98
Serie A 1997-98
Juventus won the title in controversial circumstances. In their match on Sunday, 26 April 1998, against eventual runners-up, Inter, Ronaldo was denied what appeared a clear penalty for Inter after being blocked by Mark Iuliano of Juventus. Had the penalty been awarded and then dispatched, the...
||29||2||||||Colspan="2"|––||||||||
|-
|1998-99
Serie A 1998-99
AC Milan won their 16th Scudetto, led by coach Alberto Zaccheroni. Lazio finished second, losing the title on the last day. Inter with an often Injured or rested Ronaldo had a disastrous season, finishing in 8th position, whereas Juventus impressive start was cut short by a bad injury to Alessandro...
||Parma
Parma F.C.
Parma Football Club , commonly referred to as just Parma, is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia–Romagna that will compete in Serie A for the 2011–12 season, having finished in twelfth position last season. Founded as Verdi Foot Ball Club in July 1913, the club changed its...
||Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
||26||1||||||Colspan="2"|––||||||||
|-
|1999-00
Serie A 1999-00
Lazio won the title on the final day of the season in controversial cirumstances. Juventus, the only other team left in contention on the day lost their match against Perugia in terrible conditions at a rain-sodden Stadio Renato Curi, many considering the pitch unplayable. Pierluigi Collina the...
||rowspan="2"|Lazio
S.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...
||rowspan="2"|Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
||31||8||||||Colspan="2"|––||12||2||||
|-
|2000-01
Serie A 2000-01
In the 2000-01 season, Serie A, the major football Italian professional league, was composed by 18 teams, for the 13th consecutive time from season 1988-89....
||22||3||||||Colspan="2"|––||7||1||||
|-
|2001-02
FA Premier League 2001-02
The 2001–02 FA Premier League season was the tenth season of the competition. It began with a new sponsor, Barclaycard, and was titled the FA Barclaycard Premiership, replacing the previous sponsor, Carling...
||rowspan="2"|Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||26||5||||||||||13||0||||
|-
|2002-03
FA Premier League 2002-03
The 2002–03 FA Premier League was the eleventh season of the Premier League, the top division in English football. The first matches were played on 17 August 2002 and the last were played on 11 May 2003...
||25||2||||||||||9||4||||
|-
|2003-04
FA Premier League 2003-04
The 2003–04 FA Premier League season was the twelfth season of the Premier League. In the end, Arsenal went through the season without a single defeat – only the second ever team to do so and were crowned champions once more, at the expense of Chelsea, who had spent heavily throughout the...
||Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
||Premier League||7||1||0||0||1||0||6||0||14||1
|-
|2004-05
Serie A 2004-05
In the 2004–05 season, the Serie A, the highest professional football league in Italy, was composed of 20 teams for the first time in several years....
||rowspan="2"|Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
||rowspan="2"|Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
||24||3||||||Colspan="2"|––||10||0||||
|-
|2005-06
Serie A 2005-06
In the 2005–06 season, Serie A, the major professional football league in Italian, was contested for the second year in a row by 20 teams. The league commenced on August 28, 2005 and finished on May 14, 2006...
||25||0||||||Colspan="2"|––||9||0||||
|-
|2006-07
Primera División Argentina 2006-07
-Torneo Apertura:-"Championship" playoff:Boca Juniors and Estudiantes de La Plata ended up tied in points at the end of the 19 weeks of regular season. Tournament rules establish that, unlike any other position on the table, if two or more teams are equal in points at the end of play, goal...
||rowspan="6"|Estudiantes
Estudiantes de La Plata
Club Estudiantes de La Plata , simply referred to as Estudiantes, is an Argentine professional sports club based in La Plata. The club's football team currently competes in the Primera División, where it has spent most of its history....
||rowspan="6"|Primera División||30||2||Colspan="2"|––||Colspan="2"|––||0||0||30||2
|-
|2007-08
Primera División Argentina 2007-08
The Apertura 2007 saw a great deal of success for the "smaller" teams in Argentine football. The eventual champions Club Atlético Lanús won the title for the first time in their history, the first "virgin" champions since Argentinos Juniors in 1984....
||18||7||Colspan="2"|––||Colspan="2"|––||8||2||26||9
|-
|2008-09
Primera División Argentina 2008-09
The 2008-09 Primera División season was the 80th season of top-flight professional football in Argentina and the nineteenth season in which the Apertura and Clausura system is used....
||18||3||Colspan="2"|––||Colspan="2"|––||10||1||28||4
|-
|2009-10||27||4||Colspan="2"|––||Colspan="2"|––||9||1||36||5
|-
|2010-11||24||2||Colspan="2"|––||Colspan="2"|––||8||0||32||2
|-
|2011-12
2011–12 Argentine Primera División season
The 2011–12 Primera División season is the eighty-third season of top-flight professional football in Argentina. A total of 20 teams will compete in the league. It started on August 5, 2011 and will end on June 2012.-Club information:...
||6||1||Colspan="2"|--||Colspan="2"|--||0||0||6||1
|-
159||24||Colspan="2"|––––||Colspan="2"|––––||||||||
189||21||||||||||||||||
58||8||||||||||||||||
406||53||||||||||||||||
|-
|1996||2||0
|-
|1997||8||1
|-
|1998||13||0
|-
|1999||4||1
|-
|2000||10||3
|-
|2001||8||2
|-
|2002||6||1
|-
|2003||5||1
|-
|2004||0||0
|-
|2005||0||0
|-
|2006||0||0
|-
|2007||5||0
|-
|2008||1||0
|-
|2009||6||0
|-
|2010||5||0
|-
!Total||73||9
|}
Club
Estudiantes- Primera División (2): 2006 Apertura, 2010 Apertura
- Copa Libertadores (1): 2009
Parma
- UEFA CupUEFA CupThe UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
(1): 1998–991999 UEFA Cup FinalThe 1999 UEFA Cup Final a football match that took place at Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, on 12 May 1999 between Parma A.C. of Italy and Olympique de Marseille of France. Parma won the match 3–0... - Coppa ItaliaCoppa ItaliaThe Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
(1): 1998–99
Lazio
- Serie ASerie ASerie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
(1): 1999–2000 - Coppa ItaliaCoppa ItaliaThe Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
(1): 1999–2000 - Supercoppa ItalianaSupercoppa ItalianaThe Supercoppa Italiana is a pre-season football competition held the week before the season begins in Italy every year. It is contested by the winners of the Serie A and the Coppa Italia in the previous season, as a curtain raiser to the new season. It is usually played at the home of the Serie A...
(1): 20002000 Supercoppa ItalianaThe 2000 Supercoppa Italiana was a match contested by the Serie A 1999–2000 winners Lazio and the Coppa Italia 1999–2000 runners-up Internazionale... - UEFA Super Cup (1): 19991999 UEFA Super CupThe 1999 UEFA Super Cup was a football match played on 27 August 1999 between the 1998–99 UEFA Champions League winners, Manchester United, and Lazio, winners of the 1998–99 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup....
Manchester United
- Premier League (1): 2002–03
Internazionale
- Serie ASerie ASerie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
(1): 2005–06 - Coppa ItaliaCoppa ItaliaThe Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
(2): 2004–05, 2005–06 - Supercoppa ItalianaSupercoppa ItalianaThe Supercoppa Italiana is a pre-season football competition held the week before the season begins in Italy every year. It is contested by the winners of the Serie A and the Coppa Italia in the previous season, as a curtain raiser to the new season. It is usually played at the home of the Serie A...
(1): 20052005 Supercoppa ItalianaThe 2005 Supercoppa Italiana was a match contested by 2004-05 Serie A champions Juventus and 2004-05 Coppa Italia winners Internazionale. The match took place on 20 August 2005, and resulted in a 1-0 win for Internazionale after extra time.-Match details:...
Individual
- Premier League Player of the MonthPremier League Player of the MonthThe Player of the Month is an association football award that recognises the best Premier League player each month of the season. The recipient is chosen by a panel assembled by the League's sponsor, and announced alongside the Manager of the Month on the first or second Friday of the following month...
(1): September 2001 - South American Footballer of the YearSouth American Footballer of the YearThe South American Footballer of the Year is an annual association football award presented to the best footballer in South America over the previous calendar year. The award was conceived by Venezuelan newspaper El Mundo, whom awarded it from 1971 to 1985. Uruguayan newspaper El País took over...
(2): 2008, 2009