kids encyclopedia robot

Faustino Asprilla facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Faustino Asprilla
Personal information
Full name Faustino Hernán Asprilla Hinestroza
Date of birth (1969-11-10) 10 November 1969 (age 55)
Place of birth Tuluá, Colombia
Height 1.76 m
Playing position Forward
Attacking midfielder
Youth career
1986–1987 Sarmiento Lora
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1988–1989 Cúcuta Deportivo 36 (17)
1989–1992 Atlético Nacional 75 (32)
1992–1996 Parma 84 (25)
1996–1998 Newcastle United 48 (9)
1998–1999 Parma 12 (1)
1999–2000 Palmeiras 12 (2)
2000–2001 Fluminense 12 (8)
2001–2002 Atlante 12 (3)
2002 Atlético Nacional 11 (3)
2003 Universidad de Chile 13 (5)
2003–2004 Estudiantes La Plata 2 (0)
2004 Cortuluá 1 (0)
Total 318 (105)
National team
1993–2001 Colombia 57 (20)
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Faustino Hernán Asprilla Hinestroza (born November 10, 1969) is a famous former football player from Colombia. People often called him 'Tino'. He was known for playing as a forward or winger. He played for big clubs like Parma in Italy and Newcastle United in England. He also played for the Colombian national team.

Club Career Highlights

Starting Out in Colombia

Faustino Asprilla started playing football at a young age. His first professional team was Cúcuta Deportivo in Colombia in 1988. He was 18 years old. Later, he moved to Atlético Nacional. He scored many goals, which made big clubs in Italy notice him. In 1992, the Italian club Parma signed him.

Success with Parma

Asprilla joined Parma in 1992. In his first season, he scored important goals. One goal helped Parma beat Milan, ending their 58-match unbeaten streak. Parma won its first international trophy, the 1992–93 European Cup Winners' Cup. Asprilla scored four goals in that tournament.

In 1994, Parma won the 1993 European Super Cup. They beat Milan 2-0. Asprilla also helped Parma reach another Cup Winners' Cup final. However, they lost to Arsenal.

In the 1994–95 season, Parma reached the UEFA Cup final. They played against fellow Italian team Juventus. Asprilla played a key role in getting them to the final. Parma won the UEFA Cup by beating Juventus 2-1.

Asprilla was a very important player for Parma in the 1990s. He helped them win many trophies. In 1993, FIFA ranked him as the sixth-best player in the world.

Time at Newcastle United

In February 1996, Asprilla moved to England. He joined Premier League team Newcastle United for £6.7 million. Fans nicknamed him "Tino." He arrived during a snowstorm.

Newcastle was leading the Premier League at the time. Asprilla made his first league appearance on February 10, 1996. He came on as a substitute and helped Newcastle score an equalizer. However, his time at Newcastle was sometimes difficult. He was known for being inconsistent.

In his second season, Newcastle finished second in the league. Asprilla often came on as a substitute. He played very well in the UEFA Cup games, scoring five goals. In one game, he scored a hat-trick against Barcelona in the 1997–98 UEFA Champions League. These were his last goals for Newcastle.

By January 1998, Asprilla left Newcastle. He was sold back to Parma for £6 million. He scored nine goals in 48 Premier League games and nine goals in 11 European matches for Newcastle.

Return to Parma and Later Clubs

After returning to Parma, Asprilla won his second UEFA Cup in 1999. He came on as a substitute in the final against Marseille.

He then played for Palmeiras in Brazil. He helped them win the Rio-São Paulo Tournament and the Brazilian Champions Cup in 2000. After Palmeiras, Asprilla played for several other clubs. These included teams in Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, and Argentina. These were shorter stays with less success.

Retirement from Football

Faustino Asprilla officially retired from top-level football in July 2009. He had a special retirement match in Medellín, Colombia. Even though he officially retired then, he had not played for a professional team for about five years before that.

International Career

Playing for Colombia

Asprilla played for the Colombian national team from 1993 to 2001. He scored 20 goals in 57 matches. He played for Colombia in the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cup tournaments.

1992 Summer Olympics

Asprilla was part of the Colombian team at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. The team was eliminated in the first round. They lost to Spain and Egypt, and drew with Qatar.

1993 Copa América

In the 1993 Copa América tournament, Colombia finished third. Asprilla played in the tournament but did not score any goals.

1994 FIFA World Cup

Asprilla was part of the Colombian team that famously beat Argentina 5-0 in 1993. Asprilla scored two goals in that match. Colombia had high hopes for the 1994 World Cup. Many thought they could be a surprise winner. However, Colombia was eliminated in the first round. Asprilla did not score any goals in this tournament.

1995 Copa América

In the 1995 Copa América, Colombia finished third again. Asprilla scored one goal in a 1-1 draw against Peru. He also scored a goal in the third-place match. Colombia beat the United States 4-1 in that game.

1998 FIFA World Cup

Asprilla also played in the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. Again, Colombia was eliminated in the first round. Asprilla was removed from the team after complaining about being substituted. In 2001, at age 32, Asprilla stopped playing international football.

Personal Life and Legacy

Asprilla has appeared in various Colombian Reality Shows. In 2011, he visited St James' Park, Newcastle's home stadium. He spoke about how much he liked the Newcastle fans.

In 2013, Asprilla was linked with a return to Newcastle. He wanted to help coach young players. He also wanted to help young Colombian talent get a chance to play in European football.

Asprilla played in a special match for former Newcastle goalkeeper Steve Harper in 2013. He played against a team of A.C. Milan legends.

In 2020, he sold special products at a low price. This was to help people in Colombia during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Style of Play

Faustino Asprilla is considered one of the best Colombian players ever. He could play as a forward, striker, or even a creative attacking midfielder. He was known for being quick, agile, and very skillful. He had great technique, power, and speed.

He could score amazing goals with either foot. He was also good at taking free kicks. His former teammate, Robbie Elliott, said Asprilla was "unpredictable." He could "unlock teams" with his unique style.

Asprilla was also known for his special goal celebration. He would do a somersault and then pump his fists. In Italy, people called him il polipo (the octopus) because of his long limbs. They also called him cobra because of his playing ability.

Career Statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Cúcuta Deportivo 1988 Categoría Primera A 36 17 36 17
Atlético Nacional 1989 Categoría Primera A 15 7 1 2 16 9
1990 20 9 2 0 22 9
1991 34 12 5 0 39 12
1992 6 4 7 3 13 7
Total 75 32 1 2 14 3 0 0 90 37
Parma 1992–93 Serie A 26 7 7 1 6 4 39 12
1993–94 27 10 7 4 10 2 44 16
1994–95 25 6 8 0 8 4 41 10
1995–96 6 2 0 0 0 0 6 2
Total 84 25 22 5 24 10 0 0 130 40
Newcastle United 1995–96 Premier League 14 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 15 3
1996–97 24 4 0 0 6 5 0 0 30 9
1997–98 10 2 1 0 5 4 0 0 16 6
Total 48 9 2 0 11 9 0 0 61 18
Parma 1997–98 Serie A 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
1998–99 8 1 3 2 5 0 16 3
Total 12 1 3 2 5 0 0 0 20 3
Palmeiras 1999 Série A 6 2 1 0 7 2
2000 6 0 8 1 14 1
Total 12 2 0 0 9 1 0 0 21 3
Fluminense 2000 Série A 2 0 2 0
2001 10 8 10 8
Total 12 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 8
Atlante 2001–02 Liga MX 12 3 12 3
Atlético Nacional 2002 Categoría Primera A 11 3 0 11 3
Universidad de Chile 2003 Chilean Primera División 13 5 13 5
Estudiantes La Plata 2003–04 Argentine Primera División 2 0 2 0
Cortuluá 2004 Categoría Primera A 1+ 0 1 0
Career total 318 105 28 9 0 0 63 23 409 137

International Goals

Scores and results list Colombia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Asprilla goal.
List of international goals scored by Faustino Asprilla
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 6 June 1993 Estadio Nemesio Camacho, Bogotá, Colombia  Chile 1–0 1–0 Friendly
2 5 September 1993 Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti, Buenos Aires, Argentina  Argentina 2–0 5–0 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification
3 4–0
4 7 July 1995 Estadio Atilio Paiva Olivera, Rivera, Uruguay  Peru 1–0 1–1 1995 Copa América
5 22 July 1995 Estadio Domingo Burgueño, Maldonado, Uruguay  United States 3–0 4–1 1995 Copa América
6 28 March 1996 Estadio Atanasio Girardot, Medellín, Colombia  Bolivia 3–1 4–1 Friendly
7 24 April 1996 Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia  Paraguay 1–0 1–0 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
8 29 May 1996 Miami Orange Bowl, Miami, United States  Scotland 1–0 1–0 Friendly
9 7 July 1996 Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia  Uruguay 1–0 3–1 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
10 1 September 1996 Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia  Chile 1–0 4–1 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
11 2–0
12 4–0
13 9 October 1996 Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa, Quito, Ecuador  Ecuador 1–0 1–0 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
14 8 February 1997 Estadio Hernán Ramírez Villegas, Pereira, Colombia  Slovakia 1–0 1–0 Friendly
15 20 August 1997 Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia  Bolivia 3–0 3–0 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
16 9 February 1999 Miami Orange Bowl, Miami, United States  Germany 1–0 3–3 Friendly
17 2–2
18 17 June 1999 Estadio Palogrande, Manizales, Colombia  Peru 1–3 3–3 Friendly
19 2–3
20 19 February 2000 Miami Orange Bowl, Miami, United States  United States 1–1 2–2 2000 Gold Cup

Honours

Club

Atlético Nacional

Parma

Palmeiras

  • Torneio Rio – São Paulo: 2000
  • Copa dos Campeões: 2000
  • Copa Mercosur runner-up: 1999
  • Intercontinental Cup runner-up: 1999
  • Copa Libertadores: runner-up: 2000

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Faustino Asprilla para niños

kids search engine
Faustino Asprilla Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.