Hernan Crespo's extraordinary career can be summed up by the events of May 25, 2005.
At around 8:30pm, UK time, the Argentine was picked out by Kaka and dinked the ball over Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek to give AC Milan a three-goal lead in the Champions League final. It was a moment of pure magic, topping off the perfect performance in the biggest game of Crespo's life... or at least that's what everyone thought.
Two hours later, Milan had lost the game on penalties and Crespo went on to hang up his boots without winning the European Cup. It was pure footballing chaos, yet it sums up the fantastic forward's career. On his 47th birthday, Mirror Football takes a look at the life and times of Crespo - one of the most feared strikers of his generation.
Costly Crespo
Crespo was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina on July 5, 1975. He was a superstar from the outset. By 21, he was regarded as a legend at his boyhood club River Plate after scoring 36 goals in his first three seasons as a professional - including two in the Copa Libertadores final - to help them win the biggest trophy in South American football.
After that, a move to Europe was inevitable. Italian hopefuls Parma were the lucky club with manager Carlo Ancelotti making him the focal point of their attack. The result was 80 goals and three trophies - including the UEFA Cup - in four seasons.
Yet it was the type of goals he was scoring that really impressed the critics. Crespo was dominant in the air, blessed with ability, direct and instinctive. The tag 'complete striker' gets thrown around a lot these days, but he was undoubtedly a worthy recipient.
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Crespo's form persuaded Italian champions Lazio to break the world record transfer fee for his services in the summer of 2000 - investing £35million in the Argentine - yet the move didn't work out as hoped. Although he bagged 28 goals in his debut season, injury hampered his progress during the 2001-02 campaign and just one trophy - the Italian Super Cup - was added to the club's collection.
A sixth-placed finish that term suggested Crespo needed to switch clubs. A move to Inter Milan followed - replacing the great Ronaldo - but injuries again restricted his playing minutes. He made just 18 league appearances during the 2002-03 campaign, although he still managed to bag 16 goals in all competitions to remain a world-class striker.
Off-field antics
Crespo married Alessia Andra Rossi in May 2005 and the couple have three kids, yet he enjoyed the single life before settling down. In 2017, the footballer admitted to taking part in an orgy and claimed he "did not miss out on anything" during a TV interview.
"When I was young I had orgies with many women," he said. "I was single, I was a rich and famous footballer until I was 27. I think it was normal, it's not something I'm proud of, it's just been a life experience."
But Crespo went on to say: "The truth is that when I first met my wife, I stopped. Today I do not miss it and I'm happy to what I have and my family."
Crespo also famously had a go at Lionel Messi's dad Jorge after the Argentina captain failed to secure a move away from Barcelona in the summer of 2020, proving he isn't afraid to voice his opinion when necessary. Messi eventually left the club 12 months later.
"'He doesn't stop being the father and in those circumstances you need a professional," said Crespo. "It's not the same as an agent speaking: it's a father speaking. The agent is not going to look at family sentiment.
"I don't want to detract from his father, but he does not have the background in terms of these things compared to others. We're talking about directors, contracts and money. You need someone who can handle himself in that setting."
That row was interesting, yet nothing compared to what happened with Marcelo Bielsa. The two fell out after Bielsa told Crespo he was a mature player during his early days as a professional, only to withdraw that statement several years later.
Bizarrely, Bielsa apologised to Crespo during his time in charge of Leeds after a Championship game against Swansea in 2018. The ex-striker was more than happy to accept it, yet Bielsa's timing continues to boggle the mind.
"Of course, Marcelo, I accept your apology," said Crespo in a public statement. "I already forgave him a long time ago, I had to forgive him. I'm sorry we did not speak personally, not even by phone.
"But it's never late. In addition, we both know that you had already realised your 'grave error' long before this statement. It was clear the last time we discussed the subject.... it made me happy to hear this, Marcelo. I send you a hug"
English adventure
After seven years in Italy, Crespo was given the chance to play in the Premier League in the summer of 2003 - a move that didn't seem possible 12 months earlier. Chelsea had recently been taken over by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich and splashed the cash to bring the superstar to Stamford Bridge.
"I've come here to win things, not just to participate," promised Crespo on signing for the Blues. "We will do everything we can to win things."
Although Chelsea went on to become one of the biggest clubs in Europe, Crespo didn't fulfil his potential in England. He scored just 25 goals for the Blues - winning the Premier League in 2005-06 - and spent three of his five seasons at the club out on loan at Milan and Inter. Despite this, the forward still holds Chelsea close to his heart.
"My time at Chelsea is full of great memories," he told the Daily Mail in 2017. "My team-mates, the fans, Stamford Bridge – and we won the Premier League! It was unbelievable.
"I spent too little time at Chelsea. I want to have another life so I could spend more time there. I have a lot of respect for the fans – at the beginning of the Roman Abramovich era, they weren't used to winning the title. It was fantastic. I cried after the game we won the league – it was hugely special to me."
Sadly, Crespo's time in England was overshadowed by tragedy. "It was a very difficult moment in my private life," he added. "Two separate times, we lost a baby. It was hard to go through that with my wife. Life has to go on but it was so hard.
"If you think about just the football, winning the league and my relationship with the fans, it was great – but off the pitch was very difficult. It was a very hard and private situation where you need your family… and we now have three daughters!"
Crespo went on to win three Serie A titles during his second spell at Inter, later finishing his career at Parma with 15 club honours to his name. He's since become a manager, leading Sao Paulo to the Brazilian title in 2021 before joining Qatar side Al-Duhail in March.
It's unclear what lies next for Crespo. He's achieved success in his coaching career and there's every chance he could return to Europe to finally lift the European Cup. The only thing we can be sure of is it will be interesting... the astonishing Argentine never disappoints.
