The Gesture That Set Argentine Football Ablaze

What unfolded ahead of the clash between Estudiantes and Rosario Central will go down as one of the most striking episodes in Argentine football. The La Plata side fulfilled the requirement imposed by the Professional Football League: greeting the champions with a traditional guard of honor. But as Ángel Di María and the rest of the auriazul squad began their walk, the Estudiantes players turned around and faced the other way—a symbolic and powerful message in plain sight.

The gesture was directed squarely at the AFA’s decision to crown Rosario Central as league champions for accumulating the most points in the annual table, a resolution that was not included in the original competition rules. For many, it felt like a political nod tied to Di María’s much-celebrated return to Argentine football.

Institutional Reaction and the Political Backdrop

The AFA claimed the measure had been unanimously approved by all club executives, but Estudiantes publicly denied that any vote had ever taken place. Before the match, Juan Sebastián Verón spoke with the players and suggested a way to express their disagreement. The squad responded with this unprecedented gesture, which quickly went viral across the country.

Behind the controversy lies a deeper tension: the AFA’s staunch resistance to the entry of private investment and Verón’s outspoken stance—he remains one of the few figures willing to openly confront Claudio Tapia.

The Match and Reactions After the Protest

After the gesture, the ball rolled again and Estudiantes took a 1–0 win thanks to a goal from Edwin Cetré, securing a spot in the Clausura quarterfinals and knocking Central out on their own turf. The atmosphere remained tense, but Estudiantes players and staff chose to stay silent.

From Rosario Central’s side, however, there were comments. Head coach Ariel Holan called the guard of honor “very unfair.” Di María, more measured, downplayed the moment: “They did the guard of honor anyway. One of their players told us beforehand they were going to do that. It’s their choice. We walked in as we had to, and that’s it.”