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Andres Escobar
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Andres Escobar Saldarriaga (13 March 1967 2 July 1994) was a Colombian footballer who was shot and killed in Medellin. It is widely believed that his own goal attributes to the murder in the 1994 FIFA World Cup, costing gambling losses to several powerful drug lords. Another theory posits that the death was simply the result of a bar fight that left several people wounded. Andres Escobar is still held in the highest regard by Colombian fans, and is especially mourned and remembered by Atletico Nacional's fans. His brother, Santiago, has managed many Colombian teams.
Escobar was a defender for Colombia in the World Cup in 1990 and 1994. His jersey number was 2, and was known by the nicknames "El Caballero del Futbol" ("The Gentleman of Football" or "Football's Knight") and "The Immortal Number 2". In his club career, he played for Medellin side Atletico Nacional and Swiss side Young Boys Bern.
On 2 July 1994, Escobar was shot outside "El Indio" bar, located in a Medellin suburb. It was reported that the killer shouted "Goal!" (mimicking South American sporting commentators for their calls after a goal is scored) for each of the 12 bullets fired.
Related websites
CNNSI Tribute
Video of the own goal, 1994 World Cup
A novel about his death
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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Andres Escobar
