Juan Sebastian Veron has resurrected his career by returning to play in Argentina. (Juan Mabromata/AFP/Getty Images)
Soccer: John F. Molinaro
Veron proves you can go home again
Last Updated Friday, April 27, 2007
by John F. Molinaro
Spare a thought for Mariano Pavone.
Pavone, tagged with the not-so-subtle sobriquet 'The Tank,' scored two goals to lead Argentine league champions Estudiantes de La Plata to a thrilling 2-1 victory over bitter rivals Gimnasia de La Plata last Sunday.
The striker's efforts in the heated derby match, known in Argentina as el super clasico de La Plata, were all the more remarkable considering Estudiantes played with only 10 men after Pavone's teammate Jose Luis Calderon was sent off for punching an opponent in the third minute.
Thanks to Pavone's goals, Estudiantes strengthened its grip on third place in the standings to remain within striking distance of first-place San Lorenzo as the season enters the home stretch.
And yet it was captain Juan Sebastian Veron, and not Pavone, who Estudiantes players rushed towards immediately after the referee blew the final whistle. Pavone may have bagged both goals, but it was Veron, pulling the creative strings in midfield, who gave Estudiantes its attacking edge.
Veron being mobbed by teammates and fans alike was a sight to see and proof that you can, in fact, go home again.
Not so long ago, Veron, now 32, was one of the best midfielders in the game, mystifying opponents with his exquisite ball control, visionary passing skills and playmaking magic.
After becoming a star at hometown club Estudiantes (the same team father Juan Ramon starred for in the 1960s) Veron headed to Europe and instantly made a name for himself in Italy's Serie A with Sampdoria and Parma before joining Lazio in 1999. It was at that point that his career took off, as the Argentine ace led the Roman club to the league title in 2000 (Lazio's first scudetto in 16 years) and the UEFA Cup and European Super Cup in 1999.
Heralded as the most physically gifted athlete on the planet by former Lazio coach Sven-Göran Eriksson, Veron was also the driving force behind an awesome Argentine national team that was considered the odds-on-favourite to win the 2002 World Cup prior to the tournament.
Veron, who still goes by the nickname La Brujita (Little Witch), was on top of the world, but his career quickly took a nose-dive when he joined Manchester United in 2001.
The Argentine never quite fit in at Old Trafford, his slow and methodical style being incompatible with the frenetic speed of the English Premiership. And he was often played out of position and reduced to a secondary role on a team that boasted midfield stars the calibre of Ryan Giggs, Roy Keane, Paul Scholes and David Beckham.
What's more, he became persona non grata back home when Argentina crashed out of the first round of the 2002 World Cup. Veron was vilified by the Argentine press for his poor performances and he became the scapegoat for his country's spectacular World Cup washout.
Veron was one of the first players Chelsea bought under the Roman Abramovich regime, but just like he did at Old Trafford, he failed to live up to they hype at Stamford Bridge and was loaned out to Inter Milan.
Two years in Italy did little to turn his fortunes around, though. Veron's career was in limbo, a fact not lost on Jose Pekerman, who failed to call upon him for national team duty even once during his tenure as coach from 2004 until the last World Cup.
With his reputation in tatters, Veron decided to escape the suffocating demands of the European game and return home. Last summer he signed with the Estudiantes, the club that first nurtured him to stardom, in an attempt to revitalize his flagging career.
It proved a wise move: buoyed by Veron's inspired play, Estudiantes won 11 of its last 12 games to overtake Buenos Aires powerhouse Boca Juniors in the standings and claim the 2006 Apertura title, its first in 23 years.
In an Argentine league dominated by young, up-and-coming stars of tomorrow who play the game at break-neck pace, Veron won back the respect of fans and media critics with his poised and deliberate playing style, resurrecting his career in the process.
Veron was set to make to return to the national team for the first time in almost four years - new manager Alfio Basile had called him up for a friendly against Chile two weeks ago - but the Estudiantes star was forced to pull out at the last minute because of an injury.
Veron probably won't have to wait long for another chance to play for his country. The Copa America tournament is just around the corner and chances are that Basile will ask Veron to anchor Argentina's midfield.
The Little Witch has finally exorcised his demons.
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