Episode
Drugs, Murder, And The World Cup Part 1: The Narco History Of Colombian Football
- Published
- Mar 3, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3412
- Processing state
not_requested
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Summary
Welcome back to It Was What It Was, the football history podcast. In this first part of our three-part special on Colombian football and the tragedy of Andrés Escobar. Co-hosts Jonathan Wilson and Rob Draper explore the extraordinary history of Colombian football leading up to the 1994 World Cup. This episode covers the intersection of football and narco-culture, Pablo Escobar's involvement in the sport, the tense rivalry with Argentina, and the dramatic road to qualification culminating in the legendary 5-0 victory at El Monumental. 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. 01:39 The El Dorado League & Early Colombian Football 10:11 Francisco Maturana: The Dentist Who Revolutionised Colombian Football 19:02 Maturana's Influences: Total Football Meets South American Flair 27:43 Navigating Narco-Culture: Pablo Escobar 36:11 René Higuita: The Sweeper-Keeper & The Kidnapping 41:25 Building Rivalry: Colombia vs Argentina at Copa América 1993 48:12 World Cup Qualifying Begins: Asprilla's Controversies 54:03 The Road to Buenos Aires: Setting Up the Five-Nil Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.