Argentinian club receives historic penalty.

The controversial betrayal led to a series of penalties for Estudiantes, ranging from player suspensions to the dismissal of president Veron.

Estudiantes de La Plata received a severe disciplinary action from the Argentine Football Association (AFA) after turning their backs on Rosario Central during the "honor line" for the club recognized as the "League champion" for accumulating the most points in the final standings. This is considered one of the harshest penalties handed down by the AFA in recent years.

During the match at the Gigante de Arroyito stadium, Estudiantes prepared to perform their traditional welcoming ceremony. However, when Rosario Central walked out, all the Estudiantes players unexpectedly turned their backs. This action was intended to express their opposition to the AFA creating a new title for Rosario Central, something that many teams, especially Estudiantes, considered unfair.

After days of review and debate, the AFA announced its disciplinary report. Accordingly, President Juan Sebastian Veron was suspended for six months from all football activities. This punishment reflects the seriousness of the incident, as Veron himself was identified as the mastermind behind the protest.

The players involved in the back-turning incident were also suspended for two matches. The list includes Fernando Muslera, Agustin Gómez, Santiago Nunez, Tiago Palacios, Facundo Farías, Leandro Gonzalez Pírez, Santiago Arzamendia, Edwuin Cetre, Lucas Piovi, Cristian Medina, and Mikel Amondarain. Captain Santiago Nunez also received an additional six-month ban.

In a statement accompanying the report, AFA emphasized that this was not a spontaneous act by a few individuals. The organization asserted that Veron himself admitted to giving the directive, transforming the traditional "honor line" into an act of public protest.

Besides the suspension, Estudiantes also faces financial penalties for violating the spirit of fair play and damaging the image of Argentine football. The AFA considers this act of turning their backs on Rosario Central an insult to the club and a violation of competition standards.

The incident caused a major controversy in Argentina and served as a warning to clubs about the limits of collective protest. Estudiantes won on the field, but failed in their conduct – and they are now paying the price with an unprecedented penalty.