Drugs, Murder, And The World Cup Part 3: The Narco History Of Colombian Football

Welcome back to It Was What It Was, the football history podcast. In this final part three of our three-part special on Colombian football and the tragedy of Andrés Escobar.

Co-hosts Jonathan Wilson and Rob Draper tell the story of the 1994 World Cup and its devastating aftermath. This episode explores the immense and impossible pressure placed on the Colombian squad, from death threats delivered to hotel room TVs, to the chaos of a nation in civil war pinning all its hopes on eleven men. The discussion covers the Romania defeat, the fateful own goal against the USA, and the senseless murder of Andrés Escobar outside a nightclub. Rob and Jonathan also examine the legacy of Escobar 'the gentleman of football' and his remarkable fiancée Pamela Cascada, before reflecting on Colombia's long road to recovery and redemption.

You can listen to this episode ad-free over on our Patreon - Follow the link here (patreon.com/ItWas?utm_medium=unknown&utm_s…) - or go to Patreon.com and search for It Was What It Was. You will also get access to our World Cup countdown, magazine retrospectives and bonus episodes as well as a monthly Q&A with Rob and Jonathan.

01:00 Andrés Escobar's Posthumous Column in El Tiempo
01:55 Setting the Scene: The Narco State & Pablo Escobar's Death
06:55 Pablo Escobar's Deep Love of Football
10:55 Francisco Maturana on the Narcos: "Like an Octopus"
16:30 Andrés Escobar: El Caballero del Fútbol
20:25 A Move to AC Milan & The Burden of Representing Colombia
23:30 Higuita's Exclusion & The President's Calculations
26:00 The Romania Defeat: Hagi's Moment of Magic
27:45 Death Threats, Kidnappings & Maturana in Tears
33:00 The USA Game: Playing Under the Shadow of Snipers
35:30 The Own Goal & Colombia's Elimination
37:15 The Murder of Andrés Escobar
41:00 Who Killed Escobar? The Galón Brothers & the Cover-Up
44:45 The State Funeral & Pamela Cascada's Dignity
48:15 The Aftermath: Colombia's Slow Road to Redemption
51:45 2014 & The Restoration of Colombian Football Pride
54:15 Closing Thoughts
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