enigma.
“ I could not really
understand anything that
Kenny Dalglish said so we we did
not really argue. He obviously did
not feel that I suited his teams style
and a move back to Parma suited us
both.”
In football they often say
you should never go back
to a former club and Tino
struggled to find fitness
and form in Italy. After
a second short spell
at the club he moved
to Palmeiras in Brazil
FROM...
26
23
where he had success in both league
and cup. His career petered out with
a handful of appearances for the
likes of Fluminense, Atlante, Atletico
Nacional and Universidad Chile.
In 2002 a return to the UK made
the headlines when third division
Darlington under the stewardship
of former safe blower George
Reynolds offered him a
contract. Tino was paraded
in front of the fans but
this would be the only
appearance he would be
making.
“ The contract I was
offered over the phone and what I
was offered face to face were two
completely different things. I wanted
the move to England but the money
was obviously not there and so the
deal was off. I felt sorry for the fans
but it wasn’t my fault.”
In 2007 Tino found himself back
in the headlines once again for all
the wrong reasons. He was linked
to Newcastle gangsters through a
mutual friend who were planning to
forge links between themselves and
South American drug cartels. Tino
had simply been in the wrong place
at the wrong time and had no idea
of what was going on around him at
these meetings.
A year later he was placed under
house arrest after allegedly going
on a shooting spree with a machine
gun near his farm in south-west
Columbia. He was charged with
criminal damage and illegal
possession of weapons. The Police
claimed that Asprilla had sprayed the
machine gunfire towards a security
checkpoint after they had refused
entry to three females and a
bodyguard in April of that year.
At the time Tino was quoted
as saying “ This situation
reminds me of the film
Minority Report, in which
people end up in jail even
before you’ve committed the
crime or even been tried.”
Nowadays Tino spends his
time between his farm in
Columbia and Newcastle. He
has posed naked for a well
known South American
magazine and appeared
on two reality shows. His
ambition is to return to football
in the UK in a coaching
capacity.
“ I have had talks with
Newcastle United about
coaching and about a possible
role in Columbia looking
for new talent but as yet I
have no offer on the table.
There are a lot of talented
youngsters in Columbia
looking to play at the
top level in the UK and I
promise they are very well
behaved young men.”
So can he still do the
cartwheel celebration?
“Yes, but these days I
save that for the bedroom.”
27
WORDS//@OLDHEATONIAN
The name St James’ Park enjoyed
an unbroken 119-year link to
Newcastle United until a cold and
undoubtedly damp November day
in 2011, when a statement was
released stating that the name St
James’ Park was no longer “commercially attractive”.
Derek Llambias then explained:
“Our aim for Newcastle United is to
continue to deliver success for the
fans and everyone associated with
the club. We must make this club
financially self-sufficient in order to
deliver that success”.
“To grow sustainably and allow
us to invest in our future, we will
need to rely increasingly heavily on
commercial income”.
“These are very difficult economic
times and the boa