CROCIATI HISTORY – SEPTEMBER 1993: “TINO, TINO, TINO”. ASPRILLA TAMES TORINO AT THE TARDINI

Parma, 27 September 2019 – League encounters between Parma Calcio and Torino at the Tardini throughout Crociati history have often been marked by stunning individual performances by some of the greatest players to wear the Crociati shirt.

In the 2000s, Giuseppe Rossi made his debut on loan from Manchester United against Torino (2007, 1-0) whilst Amauri made his mark on the game with a hat-trick (2013, 4-1).

In the previous millennium our all-time top scorer Hernan Crespo netted a double in another 4-1 in 1999, and Gianfranco Zola was central in the two wins in 1996 (1-0) and 1994 (2-0).

The chapter that we look back on today, just before the next encounter comes on Monday 30 September, kicking off at 20:45 CEST for matchday 6 of Serie A Tim 2019/2020, is that of the acrobatic attacker Colombian Faustino Asprilla. The match took place on Sunday 19 September 1993, in a Tardini that very nearly reached the highest capacity ever recorded.

Parma, who had just lifted their first European trophy – the Cup Winners’ Cup won at Wembley in May, were flying high in terms of enthusiasm, and Tino himself was on an exceptional run of form.

Just five days earlier he had scored a spectacular brace against Degefors in Sweden to win the first leg of the first round of the same continental competition.

He repeated this brilliance on the pitch in Piazzale Risorgimento, scoring a hat-trick in a 3-0 win against a Torino led by the late Emiliano Mondonico to only further demonstrate his skill.

The South American’s show was saved for the last half an hour of the game.

It started in the 58th minute. Leaping from a standstill, he climbed higher than any other player in the six yard box. Perfectly timed and lightning-quick. He met the ball crossed in by Zola from the right with his head, leaving his marker Enrico Annoni and goalkeeper Giovanni Galli without a chance.

He struck again in the 67th, meeting an inviting pass from the Swede Tomas Brolin, he shot off at speed, dancing past the maroon defence and firing his shot across goal from the right.

He finished the show in the 91st minute in injury time, with another moment pulled from his skilful repertoire. Played in by midfielder Massimo Crippa, Asprilla drove down the left. While running down the wing he let off yet another thunderous strike. The ball smashed the inside of the far post before nestling into the opposition net.

A trio of somersaults, his trademark celebration, and a Tardini full of praise for Parma, with the chants ringing out: “Tino, Tino, Tino”.

Main image: Tino Asprilla in 1993/1994. Photo: the Curva Nord’s support, with the banner dedicated to the ‘Mayor’ Marco Osio, who returned to play at the Tardini as an opponent with Torino.