Juan Sebastian Veron

About Juan Sebastian Veron

Few career paths read quite like that of Juan Sebastian Veron. The Argentine midfielder, born in 1975, started out at Estudiantes in 1993 and went on to represent 8 clubs across 3 countries. Now retired, Veron left the game having last played for Estudiantes in 2014.

Traced chronologically, the path goes: Estudiantes (1993–1996), then Boca Juniors (1996–1996), then Sampdoria (1996–1998), then Parma (1998–1999), then Lazio (1999–2001), then Manchester United (2001–2003), then Chelsea (2003–2004), then Inter (2004–2006), then Estudiantes (2006–2012), then Estudiantes (2014–2014). For trivia purposes, the order of those badges is everything.

The longest loyalty belonged to Estudiantes, an association stretching about 6 years. A suitcase was packed in 1996: destination Sampdoria, Italy. Adding it up, Argentina, Italy, England all appear on the career map, a spread that rewards fans who follow more than one league.

The ledger shows 567 recorded appearances, 78 goals, 112 assists.

And then there are the details only true fans know. He inherited his famous nickname "La Brujita" (The Little Witch) from his father, Juan Ramón Verón, who was known as "La Bruja" (The Witch). He became the first South American player to win the Premier League title, achieving this feat with Manchester United in the 2002-03 season. After retiring, he became president of his beloved Estudiantes de La Plata, later making a brief return to playing for the club while serving as president.

Careers like this one are the raw material of every Daily Play round. When the grid opens on Estudiantes in 1993, players around the world race to connect those 8 badges to the name Juan. The timeline below shows every clue the riddle would give you.