Do you remember…? Faustino Asprilla (Video)
A cartwheel followed by several fist pumps; this was the customary way that Faustino Asprilla used to celebrate after scoring a goal. The rubbery-legged Colombian enjoyed a successful career in both Italy and England and although never a prolific scorer, he was, and still is, a fan favourite.
Born on 10 November 1969, Asprilla began his career playing for local sides where he managed a respectable return of 52 goals in 114 matches. This form attracted the interest of bigger teams and the Italian club Parma were successful in purchasing the 23 year old front man for a fee believed to be around £6m from Atletico Nacional.
The next few years of Asprilla’s life were to be his most successful in terms of winning trophies. In his debut season in Serie A he won the UEFA Cup Winners Cup, a competition where he scored four goals in eight matches. Unfortunately for him he was unable to participate in the final due to injury, but his team mates managed a 3-1 win over Royal Antwerp and lifted the trophy.
The following season saw him lift the European Super Cup, after Parma beat Milan, as well as ending as runners-up in the Cup Winners Cup to Arsenal. 1994/1995 ended with a fantastic victory against Juventus in the UEFA Cup final, with Asprilla playing an important role throughout the competition. Parma’s league form had also been impressive since his arrival, with final positions of 3rd, 5th and 3rd. However, the time was about to come for the Colombian to look elsewhere as he fell out of favour with the coach, Nevio Scala. Newcastle United came calling for his services and he happily accepted a transfer in February 1996.
Tino’s time at St James’ Park was inconsistent, with moments of quality combined with poor performances and off field antics. Although the club came 2nd in his first two seasons on Tyneside, he was not able to maintain any kind of form that would indicate him as being capable of leading the line on a regular basis. This task fell to Alan Shearer, although ironically his injury in pre-season of the 97/98 campaign handed Asprilla a chance to impress. His finest moment in a Newcastle United shirt shortly arrived when he scored a fantastic hat-trick against Barcelona in a Champions League match.
At the end of the season he was sold back to Parma, before later becoming something of a journeyman as he spent brief periods at clubs in Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Argentina and Colombia. He managed to play just 62 games during these five years and scored 21 goals. His career goal record is quite decent, with an average of a goal every three games, but there is a feeling that he could have achieved so much more and that there was plenty of potential left untapped.
0 comments