December 12 – Memories of the cold-bloodied murder 20 years ago of Colombian World Cup star Andres Escobar have come flooding back following the latest harrowing tale of intimidation, this time involving Faustino Asprilla, who won 57 caps for the country.
Asprilla has revealed that a criminal gang threatened to kill him and his family in an extortion plot forcing him out of his home town.
The former Newcastle and Parma striker was reportedly threatened by four men who entered his home demanding money. “They told me to contact their chief because if I didn’t they would kill my family and me,” Asprilla was quoted by the El Tiempo newspaper as saying. “My family was threatened in my presence, my father, my sisters.”
He also issued a statement on his official website saying he was “helpless and hurting” at being forced out of his home town “by the back door”.
“Today is one of the saddest days of my life. I had to leave my own land, Tuluá, as a victim of extortion by a group of anti-socials. Helpless and hurting, I took the decision for the safety of my loved ones to leave Tuluá.
“I dedicated my life to representing my country abroad, to bringing joy to my Colombian people, when I could finally rest, to recover the time lost with my [family], I’m forced to leave by the back door of my own town.”
Colombia captain Andres Escobar was gunned down in Medellin on July 2, 1994 – a few days after he had scored an own goal at that year’s World Cup – in what was reported as an argument with individuals linked to the country’s infamous drug cartels. The 20th anniversary of his death was respectfully marked during last summer’s World Cup in Brazil where Colombia made millions of friends with their performances on the pitch.
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