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

About this episode

This episode discusses the tragic events surrounding Colombian football during the 1994 World Cup, focusing on Andrés Escobar and the societal pressures faced by the team.

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 - 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…

People in this episode

Hosts: Jonathan Wilson, Rob Draper

Topics covered

• Colombian football
• 1994 World Cup
• Andrés Escobar
• Pablo Escobar
• death threats
• civil war
• football legacy

Keywords

• Colombian football
• Andrés Escobar
• 1994 World Cup
• Pablo Escobar
• death threats
• murder
• football history
• civil war
• legacy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: El Tiempo, AC Milan

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