On July 2, 1994, Colombian player Escobar was shot dead.
1. Background of the event
Andrés Escobar (March 13, 1967 – July 2, 1994) was a Colombian footballer who was hailed as one of the best defenders on the South American continent and the first Colombian player to receive an invitation from AC Milan. He represented Colombia in the 1990 and 1994 World Cups and was the captain of the Colombian national football team for a long time.
Escobar represented Colombia as a defender at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups. His shirt number for the national team is number 2. In addition, he was the captain of the Colombian national football team for a long time.
In 1987, at the age of 47, Mathulana confidently formed a team and trained many football players, Escobar was one of them, and led them to qualify for the semi-finals of the 1990 World Cup in Italy and the semi-finals of the 1994 World Cup in the United States.
Because the Colombian team performed so well in the World Cup qualifiers, they once beat the United States to become the favorites to win the championship, and if you rely on skill alone, they are really good. Colombian fans seemed to see hope again and cheered for them, but by June 19, 1994, the day of the game, the Colombian team looked out of spirits.
They didn't play well in the game at the beginning, passing all the ball to the veteran players and then letting him pass it over, resulting in a constant defeat and an anxious look on the Colombian fans. The players were nervous, as was Escobar, so he mistakenly kicked the ball into his own door when he cleared the ball, and the own goal led to the defeat of the Colombian game.
Second, the course of the incident
After the game, they returned to the country, and the fans and spectators were invective, and no one was willing to forgive them. Escobar went home and hid for three days, not daring to go out, and finally got really panicked, so he dressed up and walked into a café, but he didn't expect someone to recognize him at once. As he walked out of the bar (around 3 a.m. on July 2) and was about to drive home from the underground parking lot, three men and a woman (some say there were only three) approached him and greeted him, one of whom pointed a gun at him and said, "Thank you for the ball you kicked in your door." ”
After several gunshots (some say the killer shot him 12 times in a row, others say that two of them took out their pistols and fired 6 shots at him, shouting "Goal" for each shot), Escobar collapsed in a pool of blood and eventually died due to excessive blood loss. Police believe that the cause of Escobar's death (rumors that before the do-and-death match with the American team, the Colombian players received a death warning from the gambling syndicate - they had to qualify, causing them to play in a high-stress situation; There are also rumors that Andres Escobar's shooting may have been a crime of revenge because of his blood relationship with Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, who was killed only a year before the World Cup, and that he played an own goal against the United States.
3. Social response
Escobar's death caused a huge sensation, because it was related to own goals, so the players were very worried about their safety, if they made mistakes in the future, would there be football hooligans to make trouble, for a time Colombia's famous players all withdrew from the national team, and Colombian football fell into crisis again.
4. Judicial adjudication
As a footballer, Escobar is very dedicated and plays the pitch. He shocked the international football world, and many stars in the Colombian team even announced their retirement from the national team in a fit of rage...... Three days after the crime (some say that the gangsters were caught the next day), the murderer of Escobar was arrested by the police, and according to relevant reports, the main culprit named Humberto Muñoz Castro (rumored to be the bodyguard of the Gallón brothers, the owner of the Colombian drug cartel), was convicted and sentenced to 43 years in prison, but unfortunately he was released early in 2005 due to his good behavior in prison. The shooting of Escobar reminds the world that football hooligans are the enemy of the world's number one sport.
5. Impact of the incident
Escobar's death also leaves a lot to think about, such as what kind of relationship should be maintained between the player's life and the team's honor, and what kind of mentality should be maintained when the expectations of the fans do not match the realistic results.
Escobar's murder had a profound impact on Colombian football. Many players have chosen to quit the national team or avoid international competitions because they fear for their safety. This has led to a decrease in the competitiveness of Colombian football and a trough for a while.
The incident also sparked a deep reflection on football culture and fan behavior. People are beginning to realize that while football is a game of passion and competition, players and fans alike should be rational and respectful, and avoid excesses because of the outcome of the game.