Absolute cinema! Scandal in the Argentine Championship: Estudiantes punished for turning their backs to Rosario Central

Estudiantes fans are outraged by the incident and consider the punishment to be unfair.

Details: Today, the Argentine Football Federation delivered a verdict against Estudiantes for forming a guard of honor for Rosario Central while facing away from them.

The root of the issue lies in the structure of the Argentine Championship, which is divided into two parts: Apertura and Clausura. The Apertura is the first stage, and the team with the most points is declared its winner. After the Clausura comes another Apertura stage, which takes the form of playoffs. The winner of this playoff then faces the Apertura champion in the final, which determines the Argentine champion.

This year, Ángel Di María's boyhood club Rosario Central clinched the Apertura title, with the Argentine star capturing his first domestic trophy. In response, the Argentine Football Federation hastily introduced a new trophy called the "League Champion," immediately awarding it to Rosario Central.

Last Sunday, in the Clausura playoff round of 16, Rosario Central hosted Estudiantes on their home turf. The league mandated that the visiting side form a guard of honor for the hosts. However, Estudiantes protested this obligation and decided to perform the guard of honor with their backs turned to the Rosario players—a gesture meant to demonstrate that they did not recognize Rosario as true champions.

As a result, the Argentine Football Federation, in the middle of the match, amended the regulations to include penalties for disrespectful acts during pre-match ceremonies. Today, the specific sanctions against Estudiantes were announced:

• Juan Sebastián Verón, as president of Estudiantes, received a six-month ban.
• The entire squad has been suspended for the first two league matches of the 2026 season.
• The team captain has been stripped of the armband for three months.

The match itself ended 0-1 in favor of Estudiantes, who advanced to the quarterfinals.

Reminder: Ángel Di María wins first trophy with boyhood club Rosario Central