Football hero Rafa Márquez linked to Drug Kingpin

http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/8392...zen-US-treasury

He's even on the chart:


To enlarge, click on the link: http://static3.businessinsider.com/image...rganization.jpg

Is that supposed to be Rafa all the way to the right? Favors him but don't really look like him.

Yep, it's not a very flattering picture but it's definitely him.

Never one I was looking at the guy outside the box. Once I enlarged it i recognize him for sure. That's crazy. Wtf is he thinking?

During the 80's in Colombia it was very common for football players to socialize with cartel bosses. Pablo Escobar even invited players to play a game at his prison/hotel La Catedral. He was also a major investor of Atletico Nacional. The Cali Cartel bosses finacially supported America de Cali and Gonzalo Rodríguez Gacha was the biggest supporter of Millionarios FC from Bogotá.

Maradona in his days at Napoli was also seen regularly with major Camorristi in the nightlife of Naples. I think for some players the thrill and rush of socializing with gangsters is simply irresistible. Personally I would try to avoid anything that could endanger my career because I can't imagine a better life than being an elite football star in the Primera Division, Serie A of Premier League.

Not really suprising, soccer in Latin America has long been associated with drug barons. The Colombian team visited a few times Escobar in La Catedral.

El Chapo wanted to buy Chelsea FC lol..

I'm definetly aware about how a lot of these guys rub shoulders with the cartels and the situation in Napoli and Palermo. I remember my uncle telling me about the guy who was the keeper for Palermo and was a mafioso and then I saw it on that documentary someone posted the other day across the street. It's more amazement at such a high profile guy, the skipper of the Mexican national team at one if I'm not mistaken, could get caught up in something like this. Like you put in the thread description... Hero. He's a legend in mexican football. Thanks for posting this though billy.