Faustino Asprilla
Encyclopedia
Faustino Hernán "Tino" Asprilla Hinestroza (born 10 November 1969 in Tuluá
) is a former Colombia
n football
player. He was known by his supporters in his home country as The Octopus
for his voracious appetite. In 1996, he was named by FIFA as the sixth best player in the world.
at the age of 18 for a year before transferring to Atlético Nacional
. 35 goals in 78 games brought him to the attention to several Italian clubs who bid for him with Parma
winning the race to sign him for US$ 10.9 million dollars in 1992.
for £6.7m in February 1996, with 'Tino', as the fans nicknamed him, famously appearing at St James Park to finalise the move during a snowstorm, dressed in a flamboyant fur coat. At the time, Newcastle were battling Manchester United for the league title, having led the championship for much of the season.
He made his league debut in Newcastle's 2–1 win over Middlesbrough at The Riverside Stadium, coming on as a second half substitute with the score 1–0 in Middlesbrough's favour. He made an immediate impact, creating the assist for Newcastle's equaliser. Unfortunately his time on Tyneside would be blighted by inconsistency and off-field incidents, and Asprilla was blamed as one of the reasons Newcastle would go on to concede the 1995/96 Premier League title to eventual winners Manchester United.
Asprilla's second season for Newcastle ended with the club finishing in second place once again, behind Manchester United. His role was largely reduced to substitute appearances, although he retained his best performances for the clubs UEFA Cup campaign, scoring 5 goals. His wild celebration of the goal he scored against FC Metz, whereby he removed his shirt and swung it from a corner flag, resulted in Asprilla being given a yellow card, meaning a suspension from Newcastle's next UEFA Cup game against AS Monaco.
The 1997/98 season would be Asprilla's last for Newcastle. With the sale of striker Les Ferdinand
to Tottenham Hotspur, and the serious injury to Alan Shearer during pre-season, Asprilla was preferred as first choice striker alongside the young, inexperienced Jon Dahl Tomasson
. With the club competing in that season's Champions League, Asprilla's finest game for Newcastle came in a 3–2 win over Barcelona in an unforgettable game at St James' Park. Asprilla scored a hat-trick for Newcastle, which would be his last goals for the club. By the end of January 1998, with Newcastle struggling in the league and knocked out of the Champions League, Asprilla's time at Newcastle came to an abrupt end, with the Newcastle manager Kenny Dalglish finally running out of patience with the wild Colombian's playboy antics and on-field inconsistency. He was sold back to Parma for £6m, having scored a total of 9 goals in 48 league appearances, and an impressive 9 goals in 11 European games.
During a time which was generally low-key, he appeared in the public eye again in 2002 amid reports he had been approached by English Division Three
side Darlington
. Darlington successfully appealed an initial work permit refusal and had offered around £17,000 per week plus 20% of gate receipts, a car and a rent-free flat. Chairman George Reynolds considered they were friends and in fact paraded Asprilla in front of 5,163 fans before Darlington's 2-0 win over Carlisle United on Tuesday 27 August, believing the intended 2-year contract was good as signed. However it was reported that following the player stalling on taking a medical on Thursday 29th, in the early hours of Friday 30 August, Asprilla caught a flight from Newcastle Airport to the Middle East, to apparently take up a more lucrative offer. Reynolds described himself as "absolutely gutted" by the snub, complained Asprilla "did not even have the decency to say goodbye" and said he would never talk to him again. This was the second time that Darlington was snubbed by a high profile ex-Newcastle player that summer – the other was Paul Gascoigne
.
The identity of the Middle East club has never been revealed and whether Asprilla did join them remains a mystery. There is no record of him officially playing for another professional team after his departure from Argentine side Estudiantes de La Plata in 2004.
from 1993 to 2001 and played for his country at the 1994 and 1998 World Cups. Asprilla was expected to be one of the top players of the 1994 tournament, but failed to score a single goal as Colombia was eliminated in the first round.
in Barcelona
where the team also went out in the first round with losses to Spain (4–0) and Egypt (3–4), and a draw with Qatar (1–1).
held in Ecuador
, Colombia
finished third overall. After topping Group C with a win over Mexico 2–1, and draws with Bolivia 1–1 and Argentina 1–1, Colombia beat Uruguay 1–1 (5–3 on penalties) before losing 0–0 (6–5 on penalties) to Argentina
in the semi-final. Argentina
went on to win the tournament. In the third place game, Colombia
beat Ecuador
1–0 to claim third spot. Asprilla failed to score in the tournament.
5–0 in a World Cup Qualifier game in Buenos Aires in 1993, a game in which he scored twice. Colombia finished undefeated in the South American qualifying group. Coming into the 1994 FIFA World Cup
, there were high expectations for Colombia as a dark horse favorite to win the cup with a team that included such notable players as Carlos Valderrama, Freddy Rincón, and Asprilla. With 1 win and 2 losses, Colombia
finished at the bottom of their group went out in the first round. Asprilla himself had a disappointing tournament failing to score at all. He walked out on his teammates mid way through the group phase. Colombia
failed to advance to the next round, despite having an excellent team.
held in Uruguay
and won by Uruguay
, Colombia again finished third. Colombia started out by finishing third in Group B with a 1–1 draw with Peru
(Asprilla scored the goal), a 1–0 win over Ecuador
and a 0–3 loss to Brazil. The team then went on to defeat Paraguay
5–4 on penalties after a 1–1 draw in the quarter-finals before losing to Uruguay
2–0 in the semi-final. In the third place match, Colombia
faced the United States
who they easily defeated 4–1 with Asprilla scoring one of the Colombians' four goals in the match.
in France, expectations were again high for Colombia and Asprilla remained in the team. Again, Colombia was out in the first round with 1 win and 2 losses. Asprilla was dismissed from the team after complaining to reporters about the coach's decision to substitute him near the end of Colombia's opening loss against Romania
.
Following the World Cup, Asprilla retired from international football for Colombia
at the age of 32 in 2001.
Subsequently he was rumoured to at one stage be on the books of Slovenian side NK Bravo, who play in the Slovenian capital Ljubljana, and to have been running an academy, coaching young players in Colombia. In 2008 he was arrested for allegedly firing a machine-gun at security forces near his farm in Colombia. He was placed under house arrest on charges of weapons possession and criminal damage. He has appeared in various Colombian Reality Shows, such as Desafio 2005 and Nomadas. In 2011 he has been spotted attending Newcastle United matches, his cult status amongst English supporters meaning his presence often draws comment. At the Stadium of Light for the Sunderland vs Newcastle game on 17 January 2011 he was in the away end sporting a Newcastle scarf. He made a return to St. James' Park on 22 January 2011 appearing on the pitch at half time during Newcastle United's Premier League home game against Tottenham Hotspur and attended a charity dinner in Gateshead that evening, alongside Les Ferdinand
and Peter Beardsley
, where he spoke of his affection for the Newcastle fans.
|1988||Cúcuta Deportivo||||36||17||||||||||||||||
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|1989||rowspan="4"|Atlético Nacional
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|1991||||34||12||||||||||||||||
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|1992||||6||4||||||||||||||||
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|1992–93||rowspan="4"|Parma
||rowspan="4"|Serie A
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|1993–94
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|1995–96
||rowspan="3"|Newcastle United
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||24||4||||||||||||4||||
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|1997–98
||10||2||||||||||2||3||||
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|1997–98
||rowspan="2"|Parma
||rowspan="2"|Serie A
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|1998–99
||8||1||||||||||||||||
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|1999
||rowspan="2"|Palmeiras
||rowspan="2"|Série A
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|2000
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|2000
||rowspan="2"|Fluminense
||rowspan="2"|Série A
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|2001
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|2001–02||Atlante F.C.
||Primera División
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|2002||Atlético Nacional
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|2003||Universidad Chile||Primera División||13||5||||||||||||||||
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|2003–04
||Estudiantes La Plata
||Primera División
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Tuluá
Tuluá is a city located in the heart of the Cauca Valley, Colombia Valle del Cauca, Colombia. A major industrial and commercial center, it is the region's fourth largest city after Cali, the department capital, Buenaventura and Palmira. Founded around 1741 by Juan de Lemos y Aguirre, it has a...
) is a former Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player. He was known by his supporters in his home country as The Octopus
Octopus
The octopus is a cephalopod mollusc of the order Octopoda. Octopuses have two eyes and four pairs of arms, and like other cephalopods they are bilaterally symmetric. An octopus has a hard beak, with its mouth at the center point of the arms...
for his voracious appetite. In 1996, he was named by FIFA as the sixth best player in the world.
Early years
After starting out playing football with local team Carlos Sarmiento Lora School, Asprilla started his professional career in 1988 for the Colombian team Cúcuta DeportivoCúcuta Deportivo
Corporación Nuevo Cúcuta Deportivo is a football club based in the city of Cúcuta, Norte de Santander, Colombia. The club was officially founded on September 10, 1924 and plays its home games at the General Santander Stadium, which has a capacity of 45,000....
at the age of 18 for a year before transferring to Atlético Nacional
Atlético Nacional
Corporación Deportiva Atlético Nacional is a Colombian football team based in Medellín. They play their home games at the Estadio Atanasio Girardot stadium which also serves as home to Deportivo Independiente Medellín...
. 35 goals in 78 games brought him to the attention to several Italian clubs who bid for him with Parma
Parma F.C.
Parma Football Club , commonly referred to as just Parma, is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia–Romagna that will compete in Serie A for the 2011–12 season, having finished in twelfth position last season. Founded as Verdi Foot Ball Club in July 1913, the club changed its...
winning the race to sign him for US$ 10.9 million dollars in 1992.
Atlético Nacional
- Copa InteramericanaCopa InteramericanaCopa Interamericana was a football trophy contested between the champions of CONMEBOL's Copa Libertadores de América and the winners of CONCACAF's Champions' Cup...
Winner: 1990 - Colombian Championship winner: 1991
Parma
In his first Italian season at Parma, Asprilla scored some important goals, like the 27-yard second-half free kick which helped Parma beat AC Milan, 1–0, ending the Italian champion's unbeaten streak at 58 matches. It was at Parma, that Asprilla arguably enjoyed his greatest club success. Asprilla was part of the Parma team that won its first international tournament, in the Cup Winners' Cup, scoring four goals in eight matches. It was his brace in Spain that rallied the Italian team to a 2–1 victory over Atlético Madrid in the semifinals.- UEFA Cup Winners' CupUEFA Cup Winners' CupThe UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
winner: 1992/93 - UEFA Cup Winners' Cup runner-up: 1993/94
- European Super CupEuropean Super CupThe UEFA Super Cup is an annual football game between the reigning champions of the two cup competitions organized by UEFA: the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League...
winner: 1993 - UEFA CupUEFA CupThe UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
winner: 1994/95, 1998/99
Newcastle United
Parma sold Asprilla to English Premier League side Newcastle UnitedNewcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
for £6.7m in February 1996, with 'Tino', as the fans nicknamed him, famously appearing at St James Park to finalise the move during a snowstorm, dressed in a flamboyant fur coat. At the time, Newcastle were battling Manchester United for the league title, having led the championship for much of the season.
He made his league debut in Newcastle's 2–1 win over Middlesbrough at The Riverside Stadium, coming on as a second half substitute with the score 1–0 in Middlesbrough's favour. He made an immediate impact, creating the assist for Newcastle's equaliser. Unfortunately his time on Tyneside would be blighted by inconsistency and off-field incidents, and Asprilla was blamed as one of the reasons Newcastle would go on to concede the 1995/96 Premier League title to eventual winners Manchester United.
Asprilla's second season for Newcastle ended with the club finishing in second place once again, behind Manchester United. His role was largely reduced to substitute appearances, although he retained his best performances for the clubs UEFA Cup campaign, scoring 5 goals. His wild celebration of the goal he scored against FC Metz, whereby he removed his shirt and swung it from a corner flag, resulted in Asprilla being given a yellow card, meaning a suspension from Newcastle's next UEFA Cup game against AS Monaco.
The 1997/98 season would be Asprilla's last for Newcastle. With the sale of striker Les Ferdinand
Les Ferdinand
Leslie "Les" Ferdinand MBE is a former English footballer. His playing career included spells at Queens Park Rangers, Besiktas J.K., Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Bolton Wanderers F.C., during which period he earned a number of appearances for England...
to Tottenham Hotspur, and the serious injury to Alan Shearer during pre-season, Asprilla was preferred as first choice striker alongside the young, inexperienced Jon Dahl Tomasson
Jon Dahl Tomasson
Jon Dahl Tomasson is a retired Danish footballer and assistant manager at the Dutch football club SBV Excelsior....
. With the club competing in that season's Champions League, Asprilla's finest game for Newcastle came in a 3–2 win over Barcelona in an unforgettable game at St James' Park. Asprilla scored a hat-trick for Newcastle, which would be his last goals for the club. By the end of January 1998, with Newcastle struggling in the league and knocked out of the Champions League, Asprilla's time at Newcastle came to an abrupt end, with the Newcastle manager Kenny Dalglish finally running out of patience with the wild Colombian's playboy antics and on-field inconsistency. He was sold back to Parma for £6m, having scored a total of 9 goals in 48 league appearances, and an impressive 9 goals in 11 European games.
Return to Parma
Asprilla had to be officially working as a construction worker to gain a visa into Italy, where he rejoined Parma in 1998, scoring the goal that brought Milan's "Invincible" run to an end.Palmeiras
Asprilla played in the successful Palmeiras team in the 1999 and 2000 seasons.- Rio-São Paulo TournamentTorneio Rio-São PauloTorneio Rio – São Paulo was a traditional Brazilian football competition contested between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro teams until from 1935 until 2002....
winner: 2000 - Brazilian Champions CupCopa dos CampeõesCopa dos Campeões was a Brazilian football competition contested by the best teams from each one of the regional cups.The Copa dos Campeões winner was automatically qualified to following year's Copa Libertadores....
winner: 2000
Later career and Darlington link
Although his brief time with Palmeiras saw the team achieve success, for Asprilla personally his time there marked the beginning of a pattern of short, relatively unproductive stays with various clubs across various countries, including Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Argentina.During a time which was generally low-key, he appeared in the public eye again in 2002 amid reports he had been approached by English Division Three
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
side Darlington
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...
. Darlington successfully appealed an initial work permit refusal and had offered around £17,000 per week plus 20% of gate receipts, a car and a rent-free flat. Chairman George Reynolds considered they were friends and in fact paraded Asprilla in front of 5,163 fans before Darlington's 2-0 win over Carlisle United on Tuesday 27 August, believing the intended 2-year contract was good as signed. However it was reported that following the player stalling on taking a medical on Thursday 29th, in the early hours of Friday 30 August, Asprilla caught a flight from Newcastle Airport to the Middle East, to apparently take up a more lucrative offer. Reynolds described himself as "absolutely gutted" by the snub, complained Asprilla "did not even have the decency to say goodbye" and said he would never talk to him again. This was the second time that Darlington was snubbed by a high profile ex-Newcastle player that summer – the other was Paul Gascoigne
Paul Gascoigne
Paul John Gascoigne , commonly referred to as Gazza, is a retired English professional footballer.Playing in the position of midfield, Gascoigne's career included spells at Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Lazio, Rangers, Middlesbrough, Everton and Gansu Tianma, where he scored at least a goal...
.
The identity of the Middle East club has never been revealed and whether Asprilla did join them remains a mystery. There is no record of him officially playing for another professional team after his departure from Argentine side Estudiantes de La Plata in 2004.
Summary
Asprilla scored 20 goals in 57 matches for ColombiaColombia national football team
The Colombian national football team represents Colombia in international football competitions and is controlled by the Colombian Football Federation. It is a member of the CONMEBOL...
from 1993 to 2001 and played for his country at the 1994 and 1998 World Cups. Asprilla was expected to be one of the top players of the 1994 tournament, but failed to score a single goal as Colombia was eliminated in the first round.
1992 Summer Olympics
Asprilla was a member of the Colombian team at the 1992 Summer Olympics1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
where the team also went out in the first round with losses to Spain (4–0) and Egypt (3–4), and a draw with Qatar (1–1).
1993 Copa America
In the 1993 Copa AmericaCopa América
The Copa América —previously known as South American Championship—is an international football competition contested between the men's national teams of CONMEBOL, the sport's continental governing body...
held in Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, Colombia
Colombia national football team
The Colombian national football team represents Colombia in international football competitions and is controlled by the Colombian Football Federation. It is a member of the CONMEBOL...
finished third overall. After topping Group C with a win over Mexico 2–1, and draws with Bolivia 1–1 and Argentina 1–1, Colombia beat Uruguay 1–1 (5–3 on penalties) before losing 0–0 (6–5 on penalties) to Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
in the semi-final. Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
went on to win the tournament. In the third place game, Colombia
Colombia national football team
The Colombian national football team represents Colombia in international football competitions and is controlled by the Colombian Football Federation. It is a member of the CONMEBOL...
beat Ecuador
Ecuador national football team
The Ecuadorian national football team represents Ecuador in international football competitions and is controlled by the Ecuadorian Football Federation. They generally play official home matches at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito, but often play friendlies in other stadiums around the country...
1–0 to claim third spot. Asprilla failed to score in the tournament.
1994 FIFA World Cup
Asprilla was part of the Colombian team which demolished ArgentinaArgentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
5–0 in a World Cup Qualifier game in Buenos Aires in 1993, a game in which he scored twice. Colombia finished undefeated in the South American qualifying group. Coming into the 1994 FIFA World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
, there were high expectations for Colombia as a dark horse favorite to win the cup with a team that included such notable players as Carlos Valderrama, Freddy Rincón, and Asprilla. With 1 win and 2 losses, Colombia
Colombia national football team
The Colombian national football team represents Colombia in international football competitions and is controlled by the Colombian Football Federation. It is a member of the CONMEBOL...
finished at the bottom of their group went out in the first round. Asprilla himself had a disappointing tournament failing to score at all. He walked out on his teammates mid way through the group phase. Colombia
Colombia national football team
The Colombian national football team represents Colombia in international football competitions and is controlled by the Colombian Football Federation. It is a member of the CONMEBOL...
failed to advance to the next round, despite having an excellent team.
1995 Copa America
In the Copa AmericaCopa América
The Copa América —previously known as South American Championship—is an international football competition contested between the men's national teams of CONMEBOL, the sport's continental governing body...
held in Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
and won by Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
, Colombia again finished third. Colombia started out by finishing third in Group B with a 1–1 draw with Peru
Peru national football team
The Peru national football team, known as 'el equipo inca', represents Peru in international football competition and is managed by the Peruvian Football Federation . The team competes against the other nine members of FIFA's CONMEBOL conference, which encompasses the countries of South America...
(Asprilla scored the goal), a 1–0 win over Ecuador
Ecuador national football team
The Ecuadorian national football team represents Ecuador in international football competitions and is controlled by the Ecuadorian Football Federation. They generally play official home matches at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito, but often play friendlies in other stadiums around the country...
and a 0–3 loss to Brazil. The team then went on to defeat Paraguay
Paraguay national football team
The Paraguay national football team is controlled by the Paraguayan Football Association and represents Paraguay in men's international football competitions. The team has reached the second round of the World Cup on four occasions . The 2010 trip also featured their first appearance in the...
5–4 on penalties after a 1–1 draw in the quarter-finals before losing to Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
2–0 in the semi-final. In the third place match, Colombia
Colombia national football team
The Colombian national football team represents Colombia in international football competitions and is controlled by the Colombian Football Federation. It is a member of the CONMEBOL...
faced the United States
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
who they easily defeated 4–1 with Asprilla scoring one of the Colombians' four goals in the match.
1998 FIFA World Cup
In the 1998 FIFA World Cup1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
in France, expectations were again high for Colombia and Asprilla remained in the team. Again, Colombia was out in the first round with 1 win and 2 losses. Asprilla was dismissed from the team after complaining to reporters about the coach's decision to substitute him near the end of Colombia's opening loss against Romania
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
.
Following the World Cup, Asprilla retired from international football for Colombia
Colombia national football team
The Colombian national football team represents Colombia in international football competitions and is controlled by the Colombian Football Federation. It is a member of the CONMEBOL...
at the age of 32 in 2001.
Retirement
In July 2009 Asprilla officially retired from top flight football following a retirement match in Medellín, Colombia. Although this marks his official retirement date, he had not been actively employed by a professional side in around 5 years.Subsequently he was rumoured to at one stage be on the books of Slovenian side NK Bravo, who play in the Slovenian capital Ljubljana, and to have been running an academy, coaching young players in Colombia. In 2008 he was arrested for allegedly firing a machine-gun at security forces near his farm in Colombia. He was placed under house arrest on charges of weapons possession and criminal damage. He has appeared in various Colombian Reality Shows, such as Desafio 2005 and Nomadas. In 2011 he has been spotted attending Newcastle United matches, his cult status amongst English supporters meaning his presence often draws comment. At the Stadium of Light for the Sunderland vs Newcastle game on 17 January 2011 he was in the away end sporting a Newcastle scarf. He made a return to St. James' Park on 22 January 2011 appearing on the pitch at half time during Newcastle United's Premier League home game against Tottenham Hotspur and attended a charity dinner in Gateshead that evening, alongside Les Ferdinand
Les Ferdinand
Leslie "Les" Ferdinand MBE is a former English footballer. His playing career included spells at Queens Park Rangers, Besiktas J.K., Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Bolton Wanderers F.C., during which period he earned a number of appearances for England...
and Peter Beardsley
Peter Beardsley
Peter Andrew Beardsley MBE is an English former footballer who played between 1979 and 1999. He once set a record transfer fee in the game and represented his country 59 times between 1986 and 1996, once as captain...
, where he spoke of his affection for the Newcastle fans.
Career statistics
|-|1988||Cúcuta Deportivo||||36||17||||||||||||||||
|-
|1989||rowspan="4"|Atlético Nacional
Atlético Nacional
Corporación Deportiva Atlético Nacional is a Colombian football team based in Medellín. They play their home games at the Estadio Atanasio Girardot stadium which also serves as home to Deportivo Independiente Medellín...
||||15||7||||||||||||||||
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|1990||||20||9||||||||||||||||
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|1991||||34||12||||||||||||||||
|-
|1992||||6||4||||||||||||||||
|-
|1992–93||rowspan="4"|Parma
Parma F.C.
Parma Football Club , commonly referred to as just Parma, is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia–Romagna that will compete in Serie A for the 2011–12 season, having finished in twelfth position last season. Founded as Verdi Foot Ball Club in July 1913, the club changed its...
||rowspan="4"|Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
||26||7||||||||||||4||||
|-
|1993–94
Serie A 1993-94
The 1993–94 Serie A was won by A.C. Milan, being the 14th title for the rossoneri.-Final classification:-Results:-Top scorers:23 goals* Giuseppe Signori 18 goals* Gianfranco Zola 17 goals* Roberto Baggio...
||27||10||||||||||||2||||
|-
|1994–95||25||6||||||||||||||||
|-
|1995–96
Serie A 1995-96
The 1995–96 Serie A title was won by A.C. Milan , with Juventus finishing as runners-up.-Final classification:-Results:-Top scorers:24 goals* Igor Protti...
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|1995–96
FA Premier League 1995-96
-Promoted teams:Due to the decision to reduce the number of clubs in the Premier League from 22 to 20, only two clubs were promoted this season: Middlesbrough as Football League First Division champions, and Bolton Wanderers who won the 1994-95 playoff.-Transfers:...
||rowspan="3"|Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
||rowspan="3"|Premier League||14||3||||||||||||||||
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|1996–97
FA Premier League 1996-97
The 1996–97 FA Premier League season was the fifth season of the competition, since its formation in 1992. The majority of the season was contested by the reigning champions, Manchester United, along with Newcastle United, Arsenal and Liverpool...
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|1997–98
FA Premier League 1997-98
The FA Premier League 1997-98 season saw Arsenal lift their first league title since 1991, and also become only the second team to win the 'double' of the FA Cup and league title twice...
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|1997–98
Serie A 1997-98
Juventus won the title in controversial circumstances. In their match on Sunday, 26 April 1998, against eventual runners-up, Inter, Ronaldo was denied what appeared a clear penalty for Inter after being blocked by Mark Iuliano of Juventus. Had the penalty been awarded and then dispatched, the...
||rowspan="2"|Parma
Parma F.C.
Parma Football Club , commonly referred to as just Parma, is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia–Romagna that will compete in Serie A for the 2011–12 season, having finished in twelfth position last season. Founded as Verdi Foot Ball Club in July 1913, the club changed its...
||rowspan="2"|Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
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|1998–99
Serie A 1998-99
AC Milan won their 16th Scudetto, led by coach Alberto Zaccheroni. Lazio finished second, losing the title on the last day. Inter with an often Injured or rested Ronaldo had a disastrous season, finishing in 8th position, whereas Juventus impressive start was cut short by a bad injury to Alessandro...
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|1999
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 1999
-Overview:It was performed in 22 teams, and Corinthians won the championship.-Final standings:-Top scorers:-References:...
||rowspan="2"|Palmeiras
Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras
Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras is a Brazilian football club from São Paulo. The club was founded on August 26, 1914, as Palestra Italia but changed to the current name on September 14, 1942...
||rowspan="2"|Série A
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
The Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A , popularly known as the Brasileirão , is a professional football league at the top of the Brazilian football league system held annually since 1959. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates a system of promotion and relegation with the Série B...
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|2000
Copa João Havelange
Copa João Havelange was the 30th season of the Campeonato Brasileiro, the top-level of professional football in Brazil. Due to legal complications, the championship was organized by Clube dos 13 instead of CBF, and was contested by 116 teams divided in modules, equivalent to their division -...
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|2000
Copa João Havelange
Copa João Havelange was the 30th season of the Campeonato Brasileiro, the top-level of professional football in Brazil. Due to legal complications, the championship was organized by Clube dos 13 instead of CBF, and was contested by 116 teams divided in modules, equivalent to their division -...
||rowspan="2"|Fluminense
Fluminense Football Club
Fluminense Football Club is a sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Founded in the beginning of the 20th century as a single-sport institution, Fluminense is today an umbrella organization for several teams in more than 16 different sport activities. The most popular endeavor of Fluminense,...
||rowspan="2"|Série A
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
The Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A , popularly known as the Brasileirão , is a professional football league at the top of the Brazilian football league system held annually since 1959. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates a system of promotion and relegation with the Série B...
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|2001
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 2001
The 31st season of the Campeonato Brasileiro began on August 1, 2001, and reached its end on December 23, 2001. The competition was won by Atlético Paranaense.-Format:The 28 teams played against each other once...
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|2001–02||Atlante F.C.
Atlante F.C.
Club de Fútbol Atlante, is a Mexican professional football club, currently playing in the Mexican First Division League. The club is based in Cancún, Mexico as of the start of the 2007-08 season, when they relocated from Mexico City, and plays its home games in Estadio Andrés Quintana Roo.-Domestic...
||Primera División
Primera División de México
The Primera División Profesional , known simply as the Primera División, is the top level of the Mexican football league system and is administered by the Mexican Football Federation. It was established in 1943 and as of 2011 has 18 clubs. Up to June 2011, it was divided into three groups competing...
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|2002||Atlético Nacional
Atlético Nacional
Corporación Deportiva Atlético Nacional is a Colombian football team based in Medellín. They play their home games at the Estadio Atanasio Girardot stadium which also serves as home to Deportivo Independiente Medellín...
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|2003||Universidad Chile||Primera División||13||5||||||||||||||||
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|2003–04
Primera División Argentina 2003-04
-Torneo Apertura:-Top Scorers:-Torneo Clausura:-Top Scorers:-Relegation:-"Promoción" Playoff:Huracán de Tres Arroyos wins 5-3 and is promoted to Argentine First Division.Atlético Rafaela is relegated to the Argentine Nacional B....
||Estudiantes La Plata
Estudiantes de La Plata
Club Estudiantes de La Plata , simply referred to as Estudiantes, is an Argentine professional sports club based in La Plata. The club's football team currently competes in the Primera División, where it has spent most of its history....
||Primera División
Primera División Argentina
The Primera División is a professional football league in Argentina. It is the country's premier football division and is at the top of the Argentine football league system. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Primera B Nacional. The season runs...
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External links
- International statistics at rsssf
- Whatever happened to Faustino Asprilla
- Interview with FourFourTwoFourFourTwoFourFourTwo is a football magazine published by Haymarket. Published monthly, costing £4.50, and at about 164 pages long, it published its 200th edition in February 2011...