Clarence
Acuna finally signed for the Newcastle, after reports had also
linked him with Spurs and both the Manchester United and City.
Bobby Robson had tracked Acuna for some time and invited him
to Newcastle for a two week trial whilst the player served a
six month suspension for failing a drugs test after a World
Cup qualifier between Chile and Peru.
Acuna maintains his innocence over the affair though claiming
that he simply took some medication for his asthma, as he said
on his arrival in England:
"It's so unfair, all I did was take a tablet which was
given to me with a glass of water before the game. It was the
medical staff who gave it to me and I never thought for a minute
it might be a drug. I've never touched any drugs - I don't even
smoke or drink."
Acuna has not settled into English football as well as he would
have hoped, making just 39 appearances in his first two seasons
at Newcastle, and the competition for midfield places is getting
ever more difficult at St James'. He admitted in July 2002 that
the next season would be the "most important" of his
career.
