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Andrés Escobar
Personal information
Full name	Andrés Escobar Saldarriaga
Date of birth	13 March 1967
Place of birth	Medellín, Colombia
Date of death	2 July 1994 (aged 27)
Place of death	Medellín, Colombia
Height	1.84 m (6 ft 1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Defender
Youth career
1985–1987	Atlético Nacional
Senior career*
National team
	* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.; † Appearances (Goals).;

This is a Spanish name; the first family name is Escobar and the second is Saldarriaga.

Andrés Escobar Saldarriaga (13 March 1967 — 2 July 1994) was a Colombian footballer who was shot and killed in Medellín. Some attribute the murder to his own goal 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. Andrés Escobar is still held in the highest regard by Colombian fans, and is especially mourned and remembered by Atlético Nacional's fans. His brother, Santiago, has managed many Colombian teams.

[edit] Club career

He was born to Dario Escobar who founded an organisation which gives young people the opportunity to play football instead of being on the streets. He also has a brother called Santiago who won the Copa Mustang with Atlético Nacional.^[1]

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 Medellín side Atlético Nacional and Swiss side Young Boys Bern.

[edit] International career

Escobar's ill-fated own goal against the United States

He scored his only regular international goal in a 1–1 draw against England at Wembley in 1988.

Escobar's infamous own goal occurred in a match against the United States on 22 June during the 1994 World Cup. Stretching to cut out a cross from U.S. midfielder John Harkes, he deflected the ball into his own net in the second match of Group A. The USA won the game 2–1, and as a result, Colombia was eliminated from the tournament in the first round.^[1]

[edit] Death

On 2 July 1994, Escobar was shot outside "El Indio" bar, located in a Medellín 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.^[2]

The murder was widely believed to be a punishment for the own goal.^[3] It is not clear whether the murderer was one of the gambling syndicates who had bet large amounts of money on Colombia to qualify for the second round. The BBC issued an apology the following day after its pundit Alan Hansen commented on another match that "the Argentine defender wants shooting for a mistake like that."^[4]

Escobar's funeral was attended by 120,000 people and a statue was built in his honour. Every year people honour Escobar by bringing photographs of him to matches.^[1]

Humberto Muñoz Castro was found guilty of Escobar's murder in June 1995 and sentenced to 43 years in prison. Muñoz had been working as a teacher at a local elementary school.

The sentence was later reduced to 26 years due to his submitting to the ruling penal code in 2001. Muñoz was released on good behavior due to further reductions from prison work and study in 2005 after serving approximately 11 years, in a controversial move.

[edit] Honours

Atlético Nacional

Copa Libertadores: 1

1989

Colombian Championship: 1

1991

Copa Interamericana: 1