Part 3 Footballers who have featured in both halves of the San Siro
Hernan Jorge Crespo currently plays for Parma in the Italian Seri A. The Argentine striker has scored over 300 goals in his 17 year career. He has earned Olympic Games medals, a Copa Libertadores, an English Premier League title and three Scudetto’s. He also became the top goal scorer in the 2000-2001 season in the Seri A with 26 goals for Lazio. He has also held the world record for the highest transfer fee, when Parma sold him to Lazio in 2000.
Crespo has been to seven clubs throughout his career. He started off at River Plate in 1993 and in his debut season, Crespo scored 13 goals in 25 appearances, leading River Plate to the Apertura league title. In his last season in 1996 with the club, Crespo worked his magic again, scoring twice in the final of the Copa Libertadores, which won his side the cup final being held at Buenos Aires.
His next stop was Parma in 1996 after winning the silver medal in the Summer Olympics in 1996 and finished the competition as the highest goal scorer in the competition with six goals. In Parma, with Carlo Ancelotti as his mentor, Crespo blossomed and scored 12 goals in 27 appearances but Parma failed to finish on top and ended up second to winners Juventus. However, Parma did manage to win the 1998-1999 Italian Cup and it was Crespo who scored the opening goal in the victory over Olympique de Marseille in the UEFA Cup final.
It was in 2000 that Lazio broke the world transfer record by signing Crespo for £35 million. Crespo was worth it as he finished the top scorer in the Seri A that season. However, unfortunately Lazio failed to win the title again in 2001 and in the following season, Crespo suffered some injuries and had to be sidelined while new signings took his place. His replacements in the shape of Jaap Stam and Gaizka Mendieta failed to impress and that combined with Lazio’s financial problems forced the club to sell several players. Crespo’s future with the club became unsure and there were talks of a transfer.
Despite being linked with AC Milan, Crespo ended up signing with F.C. Internazionale Milano in the summer of 2002. He was supposed to be replacement for Ronaldo, who had recently left the club. Inter were short of strikers and they paid a reported €20 million for the Argentine striker, hoping he had recovered from his injury and was ready to return after his long break. Unfortunately for him, Crespo scored some seven goals in three league appearances and nine goals in 12 Champions League matches until he suffered another injury which sidelined him for another four months in 2003.
After the disappointing spell at Internazionale, Crespo transferred to Premier League club Chelsea in the summer of 2003. He made 31 appearances and scored 12 goals, which was well below his potential. Next season, when Jose Mourinho took over for the 2004-2005 season, Crespo was loaned to AC Milan. He proved useful to Ancelotti’s side as he scored ten league goals and scored twice in the Champions League final to defeat Liverpool.
Even though he won the Premier League title with the Blues, he insisted a return to Italy, in order to join AC Milan. However, Chelsea refused the request and made an official statement announcing that Crespo would remain a Chelsea player until their demanded price was met. In the end, Crespo ended up joining Inter for a two year loan. He is the only player in Champions League history to score at least one goal for each of the five European teams he has played for since he moved from River Plate in 1996.
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