# Drugs, Murder, And The World Cup Part 1: The Narco History Of Colombian Football

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/it-was-what-it-was-the-football-history-podcast-6903590/drugs-murder-and-the-world-cup-part-1-the-narco-history-of-colombian-football
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/it-was-what-it-was-the-football-history-podcast-6903590/drugs-murder-and-the-world-cup-part-1-the-narco-history-of-colombian-football.md
Podcast: [It Was What It Was : The Football History Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/it-was-what-it-was-the-football-history-podcast-6903590)
Published: 2026-03-03T05:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://shows.acast.com/it-was-what-it-was/episodes/history-of-colombia-part1
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6633aa7d28201200122f5638/e/69a5ae3f3214c3197d6103b8/media.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/it-was-what-it-was-the-football-history-podcast-6903590/episodes/drugs-murder-and-the-world-cup-part-1-the-narco-history-of-colombian-football
Duration seconds: 3412

## Resource

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.

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