El Dorado is the name given to an era (1949–54) of the Colombian football league during which the league broke away from

FIFA FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...

. Although the Colombia national team and all domestic clubs were banned from international competition during this period, it is nonetheless considered the golden age of Colombian football.El Tiempo - Colombia entra en la élite del fútbol mundial con 'la época de El Dorado'

History

The Colombia football league turned professional in 1948 and awarded its first championship that year to

Independiente Santa Fe Club Independiente Santa Fe, known simply as Santa Fe, is a Colombian professional football team based in Bogotá, that currently plays in the Categoría Primera A. They play their home games at the El Campín stadium. Santa Fe is one of the th ...

. Internal disputes later that year caused DIMAYOR to leave the

Colombian Football Federation The Colombian Football Federation (in es, Federación Colombiana de Fútbol) is the governing body of football in Colombia. It was founded in 1924 and has been affiliated to FIFA since 1936. It is a member of CONMEBOL and is in charge of the Col ...

. In response,

suspended the league and the national team from all the international tournaments. Meanwhile, the

Argentine Football Association The Argentine Football Association ( es, Asociación del Fútbol Argentino, ; AFA) is the governing body of football in Argentina based in Buenos Aires. It organises the main divisions of Argentine league system (from Primera División to Torn ...

was dealing with a strike by its players. Several of the most important Argentinian players were looking to leave the country and, as the Colombian league was not affiliated to FIFA, Colombian clubs that wished to sign them were not required to pay transfer fees. Alfonso Senior, the chairman of

Millonarios FC Millonarios Fútbol Club is a professional Colombian football team based in Bogotá, that currently plays in the Categoría Primera A. They play their home games at the El Campín stadium. Millonarios was initially created in 1937 by student ...

, decided to take advantage of the situation by signing several Argentine stars. The first of the

Millonarios Millonarios Fútbol Club is a professional Colombian football team based in Bogotá, that currently plays in the Categoría Primera A. They play their home games at the El Campín stadium. Millonarios was initially created in 1937 by students f ...

signings was River Plate star

Adolfo Pedernera Adolfo Alfredo Pedernera (15 November 1918 – 12 May 1995) was an Argentine football player and coach. Nicknamed "El Maestro" ("The Teacher"), he was widely considered to be one of the best world football players in the 1940s and one of the gr ...

. The signing was announced on June 8, 1949, and by the time Pedernera arrived at Bogota's Aeropuerto de Techo there were 5,000 fans there to greet him. The club made five times more money on the day of the player's presentation than they earned on a regular league. Other Colombian clubs began scrambling to follow suit by signing stars from all over South America and Europe: *

Atlético Junior Club Deportivo Popular Junior F.C. S.A. (), commonly known as Junior de Barranquilla, by its old name Atlético Junior, or simply as Junior, is a Colombian professional football team based in Barranquilla, that currently plays in the Categoría ...

brought the Brazilians Tim and

Heleno de Freitas Heleno de Freitas (12 February 1920 – 8 November 1959) was a Brazilian footballer who played as a forward. Early life De Freitas was born into a rich Brazilian family in São João de Nepomuceno, in the state of Minas Gerais, on 12 Februa ...

; and the Hungarians László Szőke, Imre Danko,

Béla Sárosi Béla Sárosi (15 May 1919 – 15 June 1993) was a Hungarian Association football, football player and manager. He played for Ferencvárosi TC, Ferencváros, Bologna F.C. 1909, Bologna, A.S. Bari, Bari, Junior Barranquilla, F.C. Porto, Porto, ...

Ferenc Nyers Ferenc Nyers (also known as ''Étienne Nyers''; born 3 March 1927) is a retired French professional footballer who played as a forward. He was active in France, Italy, Hungary and Colombia. Early life Nyers was born in Freyming-Merlebach, Mo ...

and Mihail Uram. *

Boca Juniors de Cali Boca Juniors de Cali is a professional football club which represented the city of Cali since its creation in 1937 until its exit from professional football in 1957 and again from 2019 onwards competing in the Categoría Primera B, the second t ...

brought the Paraguayan

Atilio López Higinio Atilio López Riveros (5 February 1925 – 14 July 2016) was a Paraguayan football striker and coach. Career As player López was part of the Paraguay national football team that participated in the 1950 FIFA World Cup and the 1953 ...

. *

Cúcuta Deportivo Cúcuta Deportivo Fútbol Club S. A. is a professional Colombian football club based in Cúcuta, which plays in the Categoria Primera B. The club was officially founded on 10 September 1924, and its first appearance in a professional league ...

brought a lot of players from Uruguay: Julio Terra, Alcides Mañay,

Juan José Tulic ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking communities around the world and in the Philippines, and also (pronounced differently) in the Isle of Man. In Spanish, t ...

, Dardo Acuña,

Lauro Rodríguez Lauro is a town and ''comune'' (municipality) in the province of Avellino, Campania, southern Italy. It is located in lower Irpinia, in a woody valley. Sights include the remains of a 1st-century BC Roman ''thermae In ancient Rome, (fro ...

, Washington Barrios, Luis Alberto Miloc, Carlos Zunino, Abraham González, Ramón Villaverde, Julio Ulises Terra,

Juan Deluca ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish language, Spanish and Manx language, Manx versions of ''John (given name), John''. It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking communities around the world and in the Philippines, and also (pronoun ...

Juan Carlos Toja Juan Carlos Toja Vega (born 24 May 1985) is a former Colombian footballer. Club career Colombia Toja started his soccer career in Colombian tournament Interclubes (played amongst select country clubs) in the Clan MacGregor team, playing alongs ...

Schubert Gambetta Schúbert Gambetta Saint Léon (14 April 1920 – 9 August 1991) was a Uruguayan footballer. He played as a half-back and was right-footed. Gambetta was a figure in the Maracanazo when he helped keep Zizinho and Ademir out of the game, which h ...

Eusebio Tejera Eusebio Ramón Tejera Kirkerup''(6 January 1922 in Montevideo – 9 November 2002) was a Uruguayan footballer. From 1945 to 1950 he played for Club Nacional de Football, winning the Uruguayan championship in 1946, 47 and 50. He also earned ...

Antonio Sacco Antonio Sacchi (1708–1788) was an Italian improvisational actor, renowned for his performance as the Commedia dell'arte stock character Truffaldino. Sacchi's lasting influence was in requesting playwright Carlo Goldoni to lay a dramatic structu ...

and

Bibiano Zapirain Bibiano Zapirain (2 December 1919 – 2 December 2000) was a Uruguayan Association football, footballer. Honours ;Nacional *Primera División (Uruguay), Primera División: 6 :: 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1950, 1952 ;Uruguay *Copa América: 1 :: 19 ...

, some of the Uruguayan players of the team that won the

1950 World Cup The 1950 FIFA World Cup was the fourth edition of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football championship for senior men's national teams and held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July 1950. The planned 1942 and 1946 World Cups were ...

. *

Deportes Caldas Once Caldas S.A., simply known as Once Caldas, is a professional Colombian football team based in Manizales, that currently plays in the Categoría Primera A. They play their home games at the Palogrande stadium. They were the surprise winners ...

brought the Lithuanian goalkeeper Vytautas Krisciunas. *

Deportivo Cali Asociación Deportivo Cali, best known as Deportivo Cali, is a Colombian sports club based in Cali, most notable for its football team, which currently competes in the Categoría Primera A. Deportivo Cali is one of the most successful footba ...

brought players from Peru, as

Valeriano López Valeriano López Mendiola (born 4 May 1926 in Casma — died 7 May 1993 in Callao) was a football forward from Peru, nicknamed ''Tanque de Casma''. Recognized as one of Peru's most important players, he was an all round forward with great fin ...

, and Argentina. *

Deportivo Pereira Deportivo Pereira is a professional Colombian football team based in Pereira, that currently plays in the Categoría Primera A. They play their home games at the Hernán Ramírez Villegas stadium. History Early years While there are several ...

brought players from Paraguay:

Carmelo Colombo Carmelo is a given name. Notable people with the name include: * Carmelo Anthony (born 1984), American basketball player * Carmelo Antrone Lee (born 1977), Puerto Rican basketball player * Carmelo Bene (1937-2002), Italian director, actor, phil ...

Enrique Avalos Rafael Enrique Ávalos (born 1922, date of death unknown) was a Paraguayan football forward who played for Paraguay in the 1950 FIFA World Cup. He also played for Cerro Porteño Club Cerro Porteño is a professional Paraguayan football clu ...

, Marcelino Vargas and

César López Fretes César López Fretes (21 March 1923 – 13 July 2001) was a football striker from Paraguay. López Fretes started his career at Atlántida Sport Club from Barrio Obrero and was later transferred to Olimpia Asunción. He was part of the Parag ...

; and a player from Italy: Luigi Di Franco. * Deportivo Samarios was founded by the squad of the Hungaria FbC Roma when it was disbanded. The first team consisted of 10 Colombians, 8 Hungarians, 2 Yugoslavs, 1 Austrian, 1 Argentine, 1 Italian and 1 Romanian. *

Independiente Medellín Deportivo Independiente Medellín, also known as Independiente Medellín or DIM, is a Colombian professional football club based in Medellín that currently plays in the Categoría Primera A. They play their home games at Estadio Atanasio Girardo ...

brought players from Peru: Roberto Drago and

Segundo Castillo Varela Segundo Castillo Varela (17 July 1913 in Callao, Peru – 1 October 1993 in Callao, Peru) was a Peruvian footballer who played in Peru, Chile, Argentina and Colombia and for the Peru national football team. He was part of Peru's team at th ...

. *

brought the Argentines

Héctor Rial José Héctor Rial Laguía (14 October 1928 – 24 February 1991) was a footballer who played as a forward for Real Madrid between 1954 and 1961, and was part of the team that won five consecutive European Cups. He played professional footbal ...

, who would later be star of

Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid. Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...

, and

René Pontoni René Alejandro Pontoni (born May 18, 1920, in Santa Fe, Argentina, died May 14, 1983) was a footballer. He played club football in Argentina, Colombia and Brazil as well as representing the Argentina national football team on 19 occasions. Bio ...

, as well as the Englishmen

Neil Franklin Cornelius "Neil" Franklin (24 January 1922 – 9 February 1996) was an English footballer who played for Crewe Alexandra, Hull City, Stockport County and Stoke City as well as the England national team. Career Stoke City Franklin was ...

and George Mountford from

Stoke City Stoke City Football Club is a professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which competes in the . Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, it changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke ...

, and Charlie Mitten from

Manchester United Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...

. *

, called the

Ballet Azul The Ballet Azul (''Blue Ballet'') is a term coined in Colombia in the 1950s to describe the Millonarios football team, during its successful period from 1949–1964, because the blue color of their uniform, the large number of titles who had won the ...

due its greatest performances, went back to Argentina and brought

Alfredo Di Stéfano Alfredo (, ) is a cognate of the Anglo-Saxon name Alfred and a common Italian, Galician, Portuguese and Spanish language personal name. People with the given name include: *Alfredo (born 1946), Brazilian footballer born as Alfredo Mostarda Filho ...

Julio Cozzi Julio Adolfo Cozzi (14 July 1922 – 25 September 2011) was an Argentine football goalkeeper who won the Copa América 1947 with the Argentina national team. Cozzi started his career in 1941 with Club Atlético Platense, he played for the club u ...

and

Néstor Rossi Néstor Raúl "Pipo" Rossi (Buenos Aires, 10 May 1925 – 13 June 2007) was an Argentine footballer who played as a midfielder. Playing career Nicknamed "Pipo", he started his career at River Plate, playing from 1945 to 1949, and then agai ...

; and the Britons

Billy Higgins Billy Higgins (October 11, 1936 – May 3, 2001) was an American jazz drummer. He played mainly free jazz and hard bop. Biography Higgins was born in Los Angeles, California, United States. Higgins played on Ornette Coleman's first records, be ...

Everton FC Everton Football Club () is an English professional association football club based in Liverpool that competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club was a founder member of the Football League in 1888 and has compe ...

and Bobby Flavell of Hearts. In 1950, DIMAYOR agreed with

to end El Dorado through the ''Pacto de Lima''.arcotriunfal.com - Así fue el famoso Pacto de Lima
The key requirement was that the foreign players would return to their countries in 1954. However, while it lasted, Colombian football ascended to new heights.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:El Dorado (Football) Association football terminology Football leagues in Colombia

History

See also

References