A Stan Collymore double, including an injury time winner, snatched victory from Newcastle at the death. Read The hypnotic exploits of Carlos Valderrama. Did the winter signings of Asprilla and David Batty upset what was clearly a well-oiled machine, rather than strengthen and reinvigorate the squad as had been hoped? Keith Gillespie certainly thinks so, yet reserves his ire for the Colombian as opposed to fellow Brit Batty.
It is also often underappreciated just how important singular moments are to a football season. Football matches, and seasons, are defined by razor-thin margins. Aside from pure conjecture, the facts are that Newcastle ended the season trophyless with Asprilla managing three goals in 14 appearances. It was hoped, however, that his bedding in period would stand him in good stead heading into the following campaign.
Read The flight of the Magpies: star strikers and broken wings. Those three points made it eight wins out of 10 and it appeared that the Toon Army were back to their best, although a poor run of form — including a sequence of seven games without a win — led to the resignation of Keegan in the first week of Remarkably, the goal that reduced the deficit to was his first of the season, and when Warren Barton equalised, Newcastle thought the point had been rescued.
However, Robbie Fowler had other ideas, scoring a late winner to make it to Liverpool in what was almost a carbon copy of the corresponding fixture a season before. Asprilla had managed nine goals in 25 games in a campaign which saw the Magpies reach the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup.
The scene was set for Asprilla to spearhead the attack and take centre stage for Newcastle. Newcastle had dispensed with Dinamo Zagreb in the qualifying round and.
Read The chaotic charm of Newcastle cult hero Laurent Robert. It was immediately apparent that Asprilla was in the mood, and a purposeful run into the yard area drew a foul from the goalkeeper, although the contact was questionable. The already electric atmosphere went up several decibels and Asprilla, arms outstretched, gladly accepted the adulation of the adoring Geordie crowd.
Gillespie was the architect of the second and third, destroying left-back Sergi and whipping in crosses that were met by the head of Asprilla for both goals.
Barcelona pulled back two goals but they proved to be merely consolations. Asprilla was incredible on the night, an invincible force who mixed his typical flair with power, showing that he could compete with the very best in the world. Asprilla only scored three more goals in the black and white stripes before being sold back to Parma in February , while Newcastle eventually finished 13th in the league.
The Asprilla hex struck once again and, just like Scala following his Parma departure, Dalglish was sacked in the summer following his disposal of the Colombian. The South American was simply unplayable against a Barca side who boasted Luis Figo, Rivaldo and Luis Enrique in their starting XI, powering his side into a lead inside 48 minutes and becoming the first man to score a Champions League hat-trick against the Camp Nou giants in the process.
The Catalan club threatened a comeback, but eventually succumbed to a reverse. The Colombian returned to Parma from Newcastle less than two years after his arrival, but had clearly built an affinity with the North East of England and came close to an improbable return in , in what would have been the most unexpected transfer of a generation. Sadly, although perhaps predictably, the move was never completed, with both sides pointing the finger of blame towards the other, with Reynolds accusing the forward of going AWOL at the crucial moment.
And a bungalow rent-free. He's not even said goodbye. I'll never ever talk to the man again. He's completely sunk me. I feel as if I could put the blankets over my head and have a good cry. Asprilla, meanwhile, suggested that Reynolds - who would later be jailed for tax evasion - had shifted the goalposts during salary negotiations.
Like many former professionals, Asprilla has taken to media duties after hanging up his boots and is now a regular on ESPN in Colombia. However, unlike many former professionals, he also promotes his own brand of condoms.
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