Darío Anastacio Verón Maldonado (born 26 July 1979) is a former
Paraguay
Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...
an professional
footballer that last played as a
centre-back
In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...
. He also holds Mexican citizenship.
Career
Verón joined Pumas in 2003, on a transfer from the Chilean club
Cobreloa
Club de Deportes Cobreloa S.A.D.P. (), commonly referred to as Cobreloa, is a Chilean football professional club based in Calama, Región de Antofagasta, Chile. That competes in the Primera B. The club's home ground is the Estadio Zorros del ...
. Verón previously played for
Club Guaraní
Club Guaraní is a Paraguayan football team, based in the neighbourhood of Pinozá in outer Asunción. Founded on 12 October 1903, it is one of the oldest and one of the most successful in the country, with eleven Primera División titles, and ...
and
Club 12 de Octubre
12 de Octubre Football Club is a Paraguayan football club from the city of Itauguá that currently plays in the División Intermedia, the second division of Football in Paraguay. Founded in 1914, the club's home venue is Estadio Luis Alberto S ...
, clubs from his native country. A commanding central defender, Verón has also scored more than a dozen goals for UNAM because of his strength in the air. His nickname is "Hechicero" (The Wizard), a play on
Juan Sebastián Verón
Juan Sebastián Verón (; born 9 March 1975) is an Argentine former professional footballer and current chairman of Estudiantes de La Plata, where he had served as Director of Sports. A former midfielder, Verón's career started in Estudiantes, ...
's "Brujita" (Little Witch). He has become the most experienced defensive player in the Pumas lineup after
Joaquín Beltrán moved to
Necaxa
Impulsora del Deportivo Necaxa S.A. de C.V. (); often simply known as Necaxa, is a Mexican professional football club in Liga MX based in the city of Aguascalientes. It plays in the Estadio Victoria.
History
Foundation (Light and Power Comp ...
and
Sergio Bernal
Sergio Arturo Bernal Hernández also known as "El Puma Mayor" (The Eldest Puma) (born 9 February 1970) is a Mexican former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
Club career
Bernal played as a goalkeeper for Club Universidad Nacion ...
announced his retirement.
He has also earned some 50 caps for
Paraguay
Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...
, including the Copa América tournaments of 2001, 2007, and 2011, and the
2010 FIFA World Cup
, image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg
, size = 200px
, caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
. Verón was a key part of the rigid defense that carried Paraguay to the final of the 2011 Copa América in Argentina, where he formed a sturdy central core alongside
Paulo Da Silva
Paulo César da Silva Barrios (born 1 February 1980) is a Paraguayan professional footballer who plays for 12 de Octubre in Paraguay, as a centre-back.
He has previously played top-flight football in Paraguay, Italy, Argentina, England and S ...
. On occasion, he has also featured for Paraguay at right fullback.
Controversy
Verón has been accused of making
racist
Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonis ...
insults by
Felipe Baloy
Felipe Abdiel Baloy Ramírez (born 24 February 1981) is a Panamanian former professional footballer who played as a defender. He scored Panama’s first ever goal in a FIFA World Cup, against England at the 2018 edition.
Early life
He was the ...
,
Darwin Quintero
Carlos Darwin Quintero Villalba (born 19 September 1987) is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Categoría Primera A club América de Cali. Quintero is also known by his nickname of ''El Científico del G ...
and
Michael Arroyo.
Honours
Club
;Cobreloa
*
Primera División de Chile
Primera may refer to
* Nissan Primera
The is a large family car which was produced by the Japanese automaker Nissan from 1990 to 2007, for the markets in Japan and Europe. In Japan, it replaced the Auster/Stanza, and was exclusive to '' N ...
(1):
2003 Apertura
;Pumas UNAM
*
Mexican Primera División (4):
2004 Clausura,
2004 Apertura,
2009 Clausura,
2011 Clausura
*Trofeo Santiago Bernabéu: (1) 2004
*
Campeón de Campeones
''Campeón de Campeones'' ( es, Champion of Champions) is an annual Mexican football competition established in 1942. In its current form, the winner of the Apertura season faces the winner of the Clausura season, for both Liga MX and Liga MX Feme ...
(1):
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
;Olimpia
*
Paraguayan Primera División
The División Profesional de la Asociación Paraguaya de Fútbol (; "Professional Division of the Paraguayan Football Association"), also known as the Primera División (; "first division"), or due to sponsorship reasons Copa de Primera TIGO-Vi ...
(3):
2018 Clausura,
2018 Apertura,
2019 Apertura
Individual
*Best
Centre Back
In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...
of the tournament:
2011 Clausura
References
External links
*
*
People from San Ignacio, Paraguay
1979 births
Living people
Paraguayan emigrants to Mexico
Naturalized citizens of Mexico
Paraguayan men's footballers
Paraguayan expatriate men's footballers
Paraguay men's international footballers
12 de Octubre Football Club players
Club Guaraní players
C.D. Cobreloa footballers
Club Universidad Nacional footballers
Club Olimpia footballers
Paraguayan expatriate sportspeople in Chile
Paraguayan expatriate sportspeople in Mexico
Expatriate men's footballers in Chile
Expatriate men's footballers in Mexico
Paraguayan Primera División players
Chilean Primera División players
Liga MX players
2010 FIFA World Cup players
2011 Copa América players
Men's association football central defenders
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