What happened to former Argentina and Chelsea striker Hernán Crespo?

Hernán Crespo was once a world-class striker who terrified defences across Europe. The Argentine scored many goals for his clubs and country and has a trophy cabinet to be envied. This is the story of 'Valdanito', as Crespo's nickname went.

Born in 1975 in Florida, Buenos Aires, Crespo would begin his football career with one of the local giants.

As a young boy, he joined River Plate's youth system, the club where he would break through in the mid-1990s and establish himself as a talented striker with a knack for goals.

He helped River win two Apertura titles and, more importantly, a Copa Libertadores by scoring twice in the final.

In the summer of 1996, Crespo would present himself to the world at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Argentina claimed the silver medal, and Crespo became top scorer of the tournament with six goals. A move to Europe was on the horizon.

It was Italy's AC Parma who won the battle for Crespo's signature and paid just over €4 million for the striker, according to Transfermarkt.

However, Crespo had a difficult start for the Emilia-Romagna side, as he didn't find the back of the net during his first six months with Parma.

Crespo did not panic and kept working hard, resulting in a good first season. He finished his first Serie A campaign with 12 goals.

Crespo played an important role in the coming years for Parma, scoring a number of important goals, including the opener in the 1998/99 UEFA Cup final, in which Parma beat Olympique Marseille. That same year, he also picked up a Coppa Italia.

His good performances at the Ennio Tardini Stadium earned him a top transfer to Lazio in 2000. The Romans even broke the world transfer record at the time by paying €56.81 million, according to Transfermarkt.

Crespo immediately justified his price tag by scoring 26 goals in the Serie A and becoming top scorer in his first season in the Italian capital. Apart from the 2000 Supercoppa Italiana, however, he did not pick up any major trophies with Lazio, and he suffered some injuries in his second season.

However, that did not stop Inter Milan from signing Crespo in the summer of 2002. The Argentine had to replace Ronaldo Nazario, who had just signed for Real Madrid. A very difficult task.

Crespo responded with 16 goals in the 2002/03 season, in which he also suffered an injury that kept him off the pitch for four months.

In 2003, after nine years in Italy, Crespo decided it was time for something new. He signed for Premier League club Chelsea, where he would score 12 goals in the 2003/04 season.

However, after José Mourinho's arrival at Stamford Bridge, Crespo's playing time seemed limited. He was loaned out to AC Milan, where he would again play under the wings of Carlo Ancelotti, who also had coached him at Parma.

With the Rossoneri, Crespo came close to the highest European glory in 2005. He scored twice in the Champions League final against Liverpool, but could not prevent the Reds from staging an incredible comeback.

Before the 2005/06 season, Crespo returned to Chelsea, where Mourinho was looking for a second striker. It was a decision the Argentine would not regret, as he picked up his first-ever league title.

The next step for Crespo was another loan spell in Milan, but this time with rivals Inter. His second stint at the Giuseppe Meazza, which turned into a permanent deal after two years, was very successful and the Nerrazzuri won three consecutive titles from 2006 to 2009.

In 2009, Crespo, now well into his 30s, was transferred to Genoa, where he would replace compatriot Diego Milito. He scored seven goals for his new club in half a season.

In January 2010, Crespo returned to Parma, his old love, where he would become the all-time club record goalscorer with 94 goals, beating Gianfranco Zola, Alessandro Melli and Alberto Gilardino. He eventually retired in early 2012.

Crespo was also a long-time member of the Argentina national team, which he represented at several big tournaments, including the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

In the national team, Crespo was long blocked by Gabriel Batistuta (pictured), who was the first-choice striker before he retired.

Crespo still earned 64 caps for his country, in which he scored 35 goals.

Today, Crespo is considered a complete striker with great scoring ability and was one of the best foreign players ever in Serie A.

Remarkably, the Argentine never received a red card in his career, which is an incredible achievement in a career that spanned 19 years.

In 2014, Crespo began a new chapter in his career when he became manager of Parma's U19 team.

After a spell as manager at Modena, Crespo returned to Parma again, this time as vice-president after 60% of the club was bought by Chinese businessman Jiang Lizhang.

Crespo then trained several clubs in his native Argentina, before taking over at Brazilian giants São Paulo.

After a trophy-laden spell in Qatar at Al-Duhail SC, Crespo eventually landed in the United Arab Emirates, where he signed for Al-Ain FC in 2023. What will be the legendary striker's next adventure?