Juan Sebastian Veron comes out of retirement at 41

Estudiantes chairman Juan Sebastian Veron signed an 18-month contract with his club as a player on Wednesday, officially coming out of retirement at the age of 41.

Juan Sebastian Veron, the former Argentina captain, will have a dual role at the club from La Plata as its president and a member of the squad in 2017.

Estudiantes chairman Juan Sebastian Veron signed an 18-month contract with his club as a player on Wednesday, officially coming out of retirement at the age of 41.

The former Argentina captain will have a dual role at the club from La Plata as its president and a member of the squad in 2017.

“Juan Sebastian Veron signed the contract that ties him to the club as a player for 18 months and officially became (coach) Nelson Vivas’s second reinforcement for next year,” the club said on its website (www.estudiantesdelaplata.com).

Veron, who spent a decade in Europe playing for Parma, Lazio and Manchester United among other clubs, will turn out for Estudiantes in the Argentine first division championship and the Copa Libertadores.

He captained Estudiantes to its fourth title in South America’s top club competition in 2009 having returned home three years earlier from Inter Milan and last played for the club in 2014.

Veron has been training for several months for his comeback which will begin with a match against Bayer Leverkusen in the Florida Cup friendly tournament on Jan. 8.

He will be paid a minimum wage which he will donate towards the club’s development.

Estudiantes is joint second in the first division standings, three points behind leaders Boca Juniors halfway through the championship which resumes in February after a seven-week break.