Panini Futbol 88 (Colombia)

In 1988 the Colombian football was living a golden age. The local league became rich and competitive and a new generation of Colombian football stars was emerging, with iconic players like Higuita, Asprilla and Valderrama. This drew the attention of Panini, which published with "Futbol '88" the first sticker album of the Colombian league. 

In the season 1988, the championship of the Primera Division was contested by 15 teams, with two separate tournaments (Apertura and Finalizacion) followed by a final round (Octagonal) with the best 8 teams. Millionarios won the title and Sergio Angulo (Santa Fe) was the best scorer of the season with 29 goals. Atletico Nacional was a powerful team, with Higuita, Andres Escobar, Leonel Alvarez, John Trellez, and the coach Maturana. They got the second place and the qualification to the following Copa Libertadores that they eventually won for the first time, in 1989.

The cover of the album celebrates the first historical goal at Wembley of the Colombian National team, scored by Andres Escobar on May 24, 1988, during England-Colombia (=1-1). The introductory page celebrates the 40 years of the DIMAYOR (Major Division of Colombian Professional Football) with a metallic sticker of the logo and the president (Tamayo). In this page there is also the photo of the National team (puzzle of four stickers) in occasion of the game England-Colombia.

The album continues with two pages dedicated to the Young National team, the future of Colombian football. Here there are 21 stickers: the metallic logo, the team photo (2 stickers), the coach, and 17 players. The 15 clubs of Primera Division are then shown in alphabetical order, with 20 stickers on two pages per team. These are the metallic club badge, the team photo (two stickers), the coach, and 16 players.

In the center of the album there is a special section about the Colombian selection preparing the World Cup 1990: Arriba Colombia! Rumbo a Italia '90. Here there are 22 stickers: the FIFA logo (metallic sticker), Italia '90 logo (metallic sticker), the coach Maturana, and 19 players of the Colombia team. Among them Higuita, Andres Escobar and Valderrama.

The last part of the album is about the champions of the previous 40 years, since the beginning of the league in 1948. For each season from 1968, there is the final standing and the sticker of the best scorer. Thus, there are in total 20 caricature stickers in this section.

The last page of the album includes the program of the final part of the tournament (Octogonal) with a metallic sticker of the collection Futbol '88.

Back cover of the album

The ecletic and iconic goalkeeper Rene Higuita and the midfielder Leonel Alvarez

The great defender Andres Escobar, tragically killed after the World Cup 1994, and the manager Francisco Maturana (Atletico Nacional)

The striker John Jairo Trellez, who played also for FC Zurich and Boca Juniors, and the midfielder Freddy Rincon, who played in Europe for Napoli and Real Madrid

Stickers of Higuita and the coach Maturana in the section dedicated to the Colombian National Team

Metallic stickers of club badges include also the nicknames of the team

A sealed packet (front and back) of the collection Futbol '88 

Album details:

Full name: Futbol '88 Colombia

Publisher: Panini

League: Colombia

Season: 1988

Number of clubs: 15

Stickers per club: 20

Other sections:

• Introduction (6 stickers)
• Seleccion Nacional Juvenil (21 stickers)
• Arriba Colombia! Rumbo a Italia 90 (22 stickers)
• Campeones 1948 - 1987 (20 stickers)
• Octogonal (1 sticker)

Total number of stickers: 370