“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 tenureWhen 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 England is anything to go by.Veron recounts incidentSpeaking to TyC Sports, Veron shared a story of partying with rugby duo Agustín Pichot and Felipe Contepomi, who were based in England at the time, only for their celebrations to be brought to an unexpected halt.The ex-United man told the newspaper, “Back then, it was all about hopping from one bar to another and drinking as much beer as humanly possible.”“So, I told them: ‘There’s this thing going on.’ Agustín showed up with Felipe Contepomi, and I said: ‘I’ll get you guys onto the bus.'”The 51-year-old explained that while they were out, an unnamed individual grabbed a microphone and started chanting “England! England!”Veron and his friends responded immediately.“We snatched the mic away from him and started chanting for Argentina, and then the punches started flying.
It was a free‑for‑all involving the Irish, the Dutch, the English… and I’m not sure if Felipe swiped some guy’s hat or what exactly happened.”Veron made 82 appearances for United across two seasons, contributing 11 goals and 15 assists.online pollsThe Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social