Premier League cult hero had to persuade hitman not to kill rival after on-field brawl

A controversial Premier League legend whose time in England will be talked about forever was once caught up in a bitter feud that almost turned deadly

Newcastle legend Faustino Asprilla was once caught up in a vicious row with Paraguayan icon Jose Luis Chilavert that nearly escalated to murder.

Asprilla, now 56, arrived at St James’ Park in February 1996 and swiftly became a beloved figure among supporters who dubbed him ‘Tino’. The eccentric Colombian found himself at the centre of a blazing confrontation that truly erupted on April 2, 1997, at the Estadio Defensores del Chaco in Asuncion, Paraguay.

Their clash was so intense that it later saw the former Magpies striker trying to talk a contract killer out of assassinating Chilavert following their explosive encounter. Asprilla was no stranger to controversy.

The striker had famously missed Parma’s 1993 Cup Winners’ Cup final triumph against Royal Antwerp after sustaining an injury whilst booting through the glass door of a bus that had collided with his vehicle.

Meanwhile, Chilavert remains one of football’s most legendary characters. The now 60-year-old netted a remarkable 59 goals during his playing days – a bizarre statistic given his position between the sticks.

Something of a rebel himself, Chilavert would often sound more like a deep thinker than a footballer during his post-match press conferences. The Paraguayan skipper also earned the nickname ‘The Bulldog’ due to his aggressive approach.

During a World Cup ’98 qualifying match against Colombia at El Metro in Barranquilla, Chilavert had stayed true to his reputation by targeting Colombian striker Ivan Valenciano with verbal attacks, suggesting the Atletico Junior player should “eat fewer desserts”.

Chilavert might have been seen as living in a glass house, given that his own supporters had dubbed him ‘El Gordito de Oro’ – ‘The Golden Fat Man’ in English.

Still, Chilavert started the match in explosive form, pulling off several crucial stops whilst pumping his fists and roaring with passion. The encounter remained on a knife-edge until eight minutes after the break.

Asprilla linked up brilliantly with Carlos Valderrama on the penalty area’s edge before unleashing a crisp effort beyond Chilavert’s reach. Asprilla went berserk in celebration, taunting the Paraguayan supporters with mock tears.

Tino’s theatrics weren’t quickly forgotten. The teams clashed once more in Paraguay during April 1997, setting the stage for the mother of all confrontations. Paraguay grabbed the opener via an unfortunate own goal from Hugo Galeano.

Then, with 80 minutes on the clock, absolute chaos erupted. Asprilla tried to connect with a Leonel Alvarez delivery but instead of finding the ball, he crashed down onto Celso Ayala’s knee, sending the defender sprawling.

Chilavert erupted in fury. Asprilla then lashed out, striking his Paraguayan opponent across the face whilst Chilavert allegedly responded by spitting at Tino.

Both men saw red whilst Colombia were handed a penalty, though Paraguay still managed to snatch victory in the dying moments.

Reflecting on the infamous incident, Chilavert told Blu Radio: “Tino had stepped on Celso Ayala’s knee. And I tell him, ‘Why are you stepping on his knee?’ And Tino slaps me and the referee saw it. They expelled us both and charged a penalty against Paraguay. I mean, it’s ridiculous.”

Asprilla said: “On the play, Chilavert spat in my face. I cleaned myself up, got up and slapped him. It was there when the referee whistled a penalty for Colombia and sent us both off.”

Asprilla chose to observe the penalty from the sidelines, much to Chilavert’s annoyance. The goalkeeper then lashed out at Asprilla with a strike to the face as he departed the pitch, igniting a massive fracas.

The Colombian substitutes’ bench swarmed around Chilavert whilst officials tried to calm tensions by bringing in riot police.

Looking back on the incident, Chilavert said: “I remember that the 40,000 people in the stadium began to insult Asprilla. When we were leaving the field I hit him and said clearly, ‘If I catch you outside, I’ll kill you.’ It was a scandal motivated by Asprilla alone.”

Years afterwards, Asprilla disclosed in a documentary shown on Colombian television that an assassin astonishingly contacted him following the Chilavert clash, offering to murder the keeper.

The potential killer even turned up at Tino’s hotel room post-match, enquiring whether the former Newcastle striker wanted Chilavert eliminated, which Asprilla categorically rejected.

“What? Are you crazy?” Asprilla recounted about his encounter with the hitman. “You’ll destroy Colombian football, you can’t do that. No, no, no, no. What happens on the pitch stays on the pitch.”