“Punches started flying”: Juan Sebastian Veron reveals brawl while at United

“Punches started flying”: Juan Sebastian Veron reveals brawl while at United

Former Manchester United midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron has shared details of a brawl he was involved in during his time at the club.

Underwhelming tenure

When Veron joined United in the summer of 2001 from Lazio for £28.1m (a British record transfer fee at the time), there was plenty of hype and expectations. He was regarded as one of the best midfielders in Italy thanks to his technical ability and his capacity to control games.

He enjoyed a promising start to life at United but his performances gradually declined and he struggled for consistency.

Having Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, and David Beckham at United only made things harder for Veron, who found it difficult to establish a clear role in such a competitive environment.

The legendary Sir Alex Ferguson never shied away from defending Veron, famously saying, “Verón is a f**king great player, and you’re all f**king idiots!” Behind closed doors, however, concerns are growing about whether the Argentinian was cut out for English football.

Veron was shipped to Chelsea in 2003 for £15m – almost half of what United paid to secure his signature. His spell at United is remembered chiefly as an underwhelming chapter, one defined by talent that never truly blossomed.

But he also appears to have experienced some wild times off the pitch, if his latest account of a brawl he got into in is anything to go by.