Darío Verón

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Darío Verón

| fullname = Darío Anastacio Verón Maldonado

| image = Dario Veron.jpg

| image_size = 225

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1979|7|26}}

| birth_place = San Ignacio, Paraguay

| height = {{height|m=1.80}}

| position = Centre-back

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| youthclubs1 =

| youthyears1 =

| clubs1 = 12 de Octubre

| clubs2 = → Guaraní (loan)

| years1 = 1999–2003

| years2 = 2001

| caps1 =

| caps2 =

| totalcaps =

| goals1 =

| goals2 =

| totalgoals =

| nationalteam1 = Paraguay

| nationalyears1 = 2001–2017

| nationalcaps1 = 53

| nationalgoals1 = 5

| medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry|{{fb|PAR}}}}

| club-update = 24 October 2017

| nationalteam-update = 11 September 2012

| years3 = 2003

| years4 = 2003–2017

| years5 = 2017–2019

| clubs3 = Cobreloa

| clubs4 = UNAM

| clubs5 = Olimpia

| caps3 = 20

| caps4 = 451

| caps5 = 37

| goals3 = 4

| goals4 = 22

| goals5 = 1

}}

Darío Anastacio Verón Maldonado (born 26 July 1979) is a Paraguayan former professional footballer who played as a centre-back.*{{Medio Tiempo|dario-veron}} He also holds Mexican citizenship.{{Cite web |url=http://deportes.televisa.com/futbol-mexicano/2015-07-22/especial-crece-numero-naturalizados-liga-mx/ |title=Especial: Crece el número de naturalizados en la Liga MX | Futbol Mexicano | TelevisaDeportes.com |access-date=26 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304061242/http://deportes.televisa.com/futbol-mexicano/2015-07-22/especial-crece-numero-naturalizados-liga-mx/ |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}

Verón spent the majority of his playing career with Universidad Nacional, where he holds the record for most appearances.

Career

Verón joined Pumas in 2003, on a transfer from the Chilean club Cobreloa. Verón previously played for Club Guaraní and Club 12 de Octubre, clubs from his native country. A commanding central defender, Verón has also scored more than a dozen goals for UNAM because of his strength in the air. His nickname is "Hechicero" (The Wizard), a play on Juan Sebastián Verón's "Brujita" (Little Witch). He has become the most experienced defensive player in the Pumas lineup after Joaquín Beltrán moved to Necaxa and Sergio Bernal announced his retirement.

He has also earned some 50 caps for Paraguay, including the Copa América tournaments of 2001, 2007, and 2011, and the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Verón was a key part of the rigid defense that carried Paraguay to the final of the 2011 Copa América in Argentina, where he formed a sturdy central core alongside Paulo Da Silva. On occasion, he has also featured for Paraguay at right fullback.

Controversy

Verón has been accused of making racist insults by Felipe Baloy,{{cite web|title=Darío Verón, con antecedentes racistas|url=http://www.foxsports.com.mx/news/230223-dario-veron-con-antecedentes-de-supuestos-insultos-racistas|work=Fox Sports|access-date=11 February 2016|archive-date=24 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160224075932/http://www.foxsports.com.mx/news/230223-dario-veron-con-antecedentes-de-supuestos-insultos-racistas|url-status=dead}} Darwin Quintero and Michael Arroyo.{{cite web|title=Sin pruebas contra Verón|url=http://deportes.televisa.com/futbol-mexicano/2016-01-15/pruebas-veron/|publisher=Televisa Deportes|access-date=11 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303074354/http://deportes.televisa.com/futbol-mexicano/2016-01-15/pruebas-veron/|archive-date=3 March 2016|url-status=dead}}