Juan Ramón Verón

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Juan Ramón Verón (born March 17, 1944) was a professional Argentine football player.

Nicknamed La Bruja (The Witch), Juan Ramón Verón was a footballer renowned for his technical ability. He played for Estudiantes de La Plata, who were a dominant force in Argentine football during the late 1960s. Verón was known for his ability with the ball at his feet and his goal-scoring prowess.

He scored many unforgettable goals at Estudiantes, most notably his "bicycle" goal against Racing Club, the two goals against Brazil's Palmeiras in the final of the 1968 Libertadores Cup and, most famously, his glorious header in the Intercontinental Cup championship against Manchester United that same year.

Known as one of Estudiantes' all time great players, he moved on to star in Junior de Barranquilla (Colombia) and Panathinaikos F.C. of Athens, Greece before returning to his home club in 1975. After retiring, he had a brief career as coach in Central America and is now working as a sort of special advisor for Estudiantes.

His son, La Brujita (The Little Witch), Juan Sebastián Verón, became one of football's biggest stars in the early 21st century.