- Estudiantes and Universidad Católica will meet again in the CONMEBOL Libertadores, 57 years after their 1969 semi-final in which Juan Ramón Verón played a leading role.
- The tie revives the Verón family’s historic connection with La Gloria Eterna, from Juan Ramón’s triumphs to La Brujita’s title-winning campaign in 2009.
Some stories span generations, linking different eras through the same surname and turning certain clubs into symbols of a continental footballing tradition. At Estudiantes de La Plata, that lineage has a name of its own: Verón.
The latest meeting between Estudiantes and Universidad Católica in the CONMEBOL Libertadores Round of 16 will reconnect two moments separated by 57 years. In both, the same family serves as the thread running through El Pincha’s continental history.
The only previous encounter between the Argentinian side and their Chilean opponents came in the semi-finals of the 1969 edition. Osvaldo Zubeldía’s team underlined their international pedigree, winning the first leg 3-1 in Santiago before repeating the same scoreline in La Plata to reach the final, where they would go on to defeat Uruguay’s Nacional.
In the return leg, played at the old Estadio Jorge Luis Hirschi, Juan Ramón Verón opened the scoring. La Bruja, the defining symbol of that golden era, won three consecutive editions of the competition: 1968, 1969 and 1970.
That team did more than collect trophies: they created a continental dynasty built on tactical discipline and a fiercely competitive spirit.
Decades later, when the possibility of matching such a legacy seemed remote, another Verón took El León back to the summit of South American football. Juan Sebastián, La Brujita, inherited far more than a surname. A product of Estudiantes’ academy, a club icon and an international star with Argentina, he chose to return to La Plata from Europe at the age of 31 to pursue a dream driven by two fundamental elements: his deep connection with the club and a personal sense of unfinished business.
In 2009, as captain and the team’s footballing figurehead, he led Estudiantes to another continental triumph. The final against Cruzeiro in Belo Horizonte remains forever etched in the memories of the club’s supporters. Alejandro Sabella’s side, who had come close to elimination in the preliminary stage, overturned the tie against the Brazilian team and lifted the Libertadores once again after almost four decades.
The image of Juan Sebastián lifting the trophy appeared to bring the story full circle. Yet there may still be another chapter to come.
The draw for the current edition’s Round of 16 has brought Estudiantes and Universidad Católica together once again. Juan Sebastián Verón will also be present, this time as the club’s president. Since taking office, Estudiantes have won four domestic titles, but an international trophy remains unfinished business.
The tie against Universidad Católica represents more than a simple historical rematch. It is also a journey across generations. When Estudiantes meet La Católica again, the Verón family will once more form part of the story: Juan Ramón in 1969, strengthening the club’s continental mystique, and Juan Sebastián in 2009, returning Estudiantes to the forefront of South American football.
