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Thirty-one years ago, Carlos Bilardo took over as manager of Estudiantes de la Plata, one of two clubs based in the capital of Buenos Aires province. One day he was approached by one of his players asking for the day off because his wife was about to have a baby. The expectant father's name? Ramon Veron. "That baby was Sebastian," Bilardo told me recently. "And very soon after that Ramon started bringing him to the training ground - it was like that in those days. So Sebastian was literally born and bred in the training ground." These days Juan Sebastian Veron is back where he started, of which more later. First, a history lesson ...
Argentinian football owes much of its international reputation to Estudiantes. After a relegation battle in 1965, the club appointed Osvaldo Zubeldía as manager. He fostered a unique team spirit with a group of lads drafted from the youth team and a handful of more mature players he bought in. Collecting Super-8 footage of games from all over the world, he studied it in detail with his players. "Moves we now know as pelota parade (play based around set-pieces) which everyone uses now, pushing all the players forward so as to leave your opponent off-side ... he did all that back in '65," recalls Bilardo, a key player in Zubeldía's squad. Carlos Pachamé , another member of that team, who went on to assist Bilardo in management, agrees: "Osvaldo marks a clear 'before' and 'after' in football," he explains. "He encouraged man-to-man marking, he introduced warm-ups before matches - things that are commonplace today, but back then nobody did."
Not everyone was enamoured with Zubeldía's lack of flair, however. Critics described his style as anti-football and they earned a reputation for dirty tactics that dogs Argentina's reputation to this day. But prior to that, the national style had not made its mark on the word stage. "At first people would praise us, saying 'Lovely little club ... ooh look, they beat Boca!'" recalls Pachamé. "But after a while nobody liked us. Boca and River hadn't won a single South American championship when we had won three!"
In four seasons, no less - Estudiantes won the Libertadores Cup in 1968, 1969 and 1970. The champions in those days would play against their European counterparts in a two-legged clash, nowadays known as the Toyota Intercontinental played in Japan. In 1968 Estudiantes beat Manchester United, but in 1969 and 1970 they lost to Milan and Feyenoord respectively.
Estudiantes have not known glory years such as those since, which makes the Apertura 2006 tournament, which draws to a close this weekend, worthy of note. We rarely celebrate second place in football or any other sporting activity, but Estudiantes' achievements this season are commendable. Managed these days by Diego Simeone (ably assisted by former Arsenal full-back Nelson Vivas), Estudiantes lie second in the table and look likely to remain there (although if they win and Boca lose this Sunday, they'll play each other next Wednesday).
Memorable achievements to date this season include a 7-0 thrashing of arch-rivals Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata in the first match at the new stadium shared by both clubs, and victories in more than one match when down to nine men. "Every training session I get five players from the starting line-up to play against 11 others ... that's the way to learn how to handle it," Simeone told reporters a few weeks ago.
Which brings us back to Juan Sebastian Veron. A crucial player in the Zubeldía era, his father Ramon went on to manage Estudiantes, where he gave his 17-year-old son the first senior start of what would turn out to be a largely illustrious career. It is a career that is ongoing - having left Serie A to return to Argentina last summer, Seba now seems certain to end his playing days where he began them, with Estudiantes.
Moving from the club managed by his father to a spell at Boca under Bilardo, La Brujita, caught the eye of one Sven-Goran Erikson, who took him first to Sampdoria and then Lazio (Veron spent time at Parma in between). "I was very keen [on him] because of his excellent characteristics as a confrontational midfielder," said Eriksson at the time. "That's the role which in Argentina is usually fulfilled by whoever wears the No5 shirt. Many people, however, tell me it would be wrong to limit Veron and his fantasia, forcing him to take on overly precise requirements. I think I will give him whatever number shirt and tell him simply to go out there and do as he prefers."
Talking to Seba himself on the phone yesterday, I asked him what position he plays these days. "I would say I am now playing in the position that seven, maybe eight years ago, Sven told me I should play," he told me.
Many observers thought Veron was finished when he was left out of Argentina's squad for the 2006 World Cup, but nothing could have been further from the truth. Returning home from Italy, he made a considerable investment in Estudiantes' infrastructure: the facilities, the gym and the academy. He joined after El Cholo [Simeone] had been appointed. "With him I have shared the experience of club teams and national squads, same as with Nelson [Vivas]," he explains. "We share our desire to win, of moving forward. A manager is very important on the pitch, but more important in the dressing room. He works very well, he reaches the players well and his idea of the game is good. The result is important, but the road is also important - playing well; not playing the same way in every match."
I put it to Veron that it sounds like he is finally enjoying the game. "And how!" he retorts with a hearty laugh. "It's my first championship back home and I'm back with the team I've always wanted to be with. Although I would love to actually win the championship, I think on the whole we're happy because we've had a good campaign. Ever since three points were awarded for a win, I think there's only been a handful of champions with over 40 points. We already have 41."
I enquire if the current Estudiantes side bears comparison with those of his father's era. "I'm not sure you can compare a team that won everything with us," he scoffs. "We haven't won anything. But maybe it could be said that what we have in common is that all this could be the beginning of a new cycle."
Argentinian football owes much of its international reputation to Estudiantes. After a relegation battle in 1965, the club appointed Osvaldo Zubeldía as manager. He fostered a unique team spirit with a group of lads drafted from the youth team and a handful of more mature players he bought in. Collecting Super-8 footage of games from all over the world, he studied it in detail with his players. "Moves we now know as pelota parade (play based around set-pieces) which everyone uses now, pushing all the players forward so as to leave your opponent off-side ... he did all that back in '65," recalls Bilardo, a key player in Zubeldía's squad. Carlos Pachamé , another member of that team, who went on to assist Bilardo in management, agrees: "Osvaldo marks a clear 'before' and 'after' in football," he explains. "He encouraged man-to-man marking, he introduced warm-ups before matches - things that are commonplace today, but back then nobody did."
Not everyone was enamoured with Zubeldía's lack of flair, however. Critics described his style as anti-football and they earned a reputation for dirty tactics that dogs Argentina's reputation to this day. But prior to that, the national style had not made its mark on the word stage. "At first people would praise us, saying 'Lovely little club ... ooh look, they beat Boca!'" recalls Pachamé. "But after a while nobody liked us. Boca and River hadn't won a single South American championship when we had won three!"
In four seasons, no less - Estudiantes won the Libertadores Cup in 1968, 1969 and 1970. The champions in those days would play against their European counterparts in a two-legged clash, nowadays known as the Toyota Intercontinental played in Japan. In 1968 Estudiantes beat Manchester United, but in 1969 and 1970 they lost to Milan and Feyenoord respectively.
Estudiantes have not known glory years such as those since, which makes the Apertura 2006 tournament, which draws to a close this weekend, worthy of note. We rarely celebrate second place in football or any other sporting activity, but Estudiantes' achievements this season are commendable. Managed these days by Diego Simeone (ably assisted by former Arsenal full-back Nelson Vivas), Estudiantes lie second in the table and look likely to remain there (although if they win and Boca lose this Sunday, they'll play each other next Wednesday).
Memorable achievements to date this season include a 7-0 thrashing of arch-rivals Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata in the first match at the new stadium shared by both clubs, and victories in more than one match when down to nine men. "Every training session I get five players from the starting line-up to play against 11 others ... that's the way to learn how to handle it," Simeone told reporters a few weeks ago.
Which brings us back to Juan Sebastian Veron. A crucial player in the Zubeldía era, his father Ramon went on to manage Estudiantes, where he gave his 17-year-old son the first senior start of what would turn out to be a largely illustrious career. It is a career that is ongoing - having left Serie A to return to Argentina last summer, Seba now seems certain to end his playing days where he began them, with Estudiantes.
Moving from the club managed by his father to a spell at Boca under Bilardo, La Brujita, caught the eye of one Sven-Goran Erikson, who took him first to Sampdoria and then Lazio (Veron spent time at Parma in between). "I was very keen [on him] because of his excellent characteristics as a confrontational midfielder," said Eriksson at the time. "That's the role which in Argentina is usually fulfilled by whoever wears the No5 shirt. Many people, however, tell me it would be wrong to limit Veron and his fantasia, forcing him to take on overly precise requirements. I think I will give him whatever number shirt and tell him simply to go out there and do as he prefers."
Talking to Seba himself on the phone yesterday, I asked him what position he plays these days. "I would say I am now playing in the position that seven, maybe eight years ago, Sven told me I should play," he told me.
Many observers thought Veron was finished when he was left out of Argentina's squad for the 2006 World Cup, but nothing could have been further from the truth. Returning home from Italy, he made a considerable investment in Estudiantes' infrastructure: the facilities, the gym and the academy. He joined after El Cholo [Simeone] had been appointed. "With him I have shared the experience of club teams and national squads, same as with Nelson [Vivas]," he explains. "We share our desire to win, of moving forward. A manager is very important on the pitch, but more important in the dressing room. He works very well, he reaches the players well and his idea of the game is good. The result is important, but the road is also important - playing well; not playing the same way in every match."
I put it to Veron that it sounds like he is finally enjoying the game. "And how!" he retorts with a hearty laugh. "It's my first championship back home and I'm back with the team I've always wanted to be with. Although I would love to actually win the championship, I think on the whole we're happy because we've had a good campaign. Ever since three points were awarded for a win, I think there's only been a handful of champions with over 40 points. We already have 41."
I enquire if the current Estudiantes side bears comparison with those of his father's era. "I'm not sure you can compare a team that won everything with us," he scoffs. "We haven't won anything. But maybe it could be said that what we have in common is that all this could be the beginning of a new cycle."
