Colo-Colo

Colo-Colo

Full name	Club Social y Deportivo Colo-Colo
Nickname(s)	Los Albos (The Snow Whites), El Cacique (The Cacique), El Eterno Campeón (The Eternal Champion), El Popular (The Popular)
Founded	April 19, 1925
Ground	Estadio Monumental David Arellano Santiago, Chile (Capacity: 45,953 [1])
Chairman	Guillermo Mackenna
Coach	Diego Cagna
League	Primera División de Chile
2009 Clausura	Champions
Home colours Away colours
Current season

Club Social y Deportivo Colo-Colo^[1] is the most popular team of Chilean football. It has won a record number of national titles and is the only Chilean team to have won the Copa Libertadores de América (1991). Colo-Colo is known as the "Albos" (snow whites), "el Cacique" (the Chief), "El Indio" (the Indian) "Eterno Campeón" (eternal champion) and "El Popular" (the popular). Their traditional colours consist of a white shirt, black shorts, and white socks. After the death of David Arellano a founding father, black was added to the top of the emblem on the white shirt as a tribute. In a dual sign the name of the stadium was also dedicated to him as a living memory. Colo-Colo plays in the Chilean commune of Macul located within Santiago. Since 2005 it is managed by Blanco y Negro S.A., an entity that is 13,77% controlled by businessman and Chilean President Sebastián Piñera.^[2]

Colo-Colo has won a combined total of 46 titles, encompassing 4 amateur titles, 39 national tournaments in the professional era and 3 international championships. Since the creation of the Primera División of Chile in 1933, Colo-Colo is the only club to have played in every season never having been relegated.^[3] The club has won a record 29 Primera División de Chile championships.^[4] The club was ranked among the top 30 football clubs in the IFFHS in 2007 All-Time Club World Ranking.^[5]

History

Foundation and amateur era (1925-1932)

At the beginning of 1925, football club Magallanes were undergoing an internal institutional crisis, stemming from problems between administrators and a few of the players who wanted to turn the club into a professional entity. A breakdown in negotiations provoked a few of the younger players to resign from the team after encountering opposition from the club's directors, established players, and fans.

After a series of reunions the former club Magallanes players led by David Arellano decided to establish their new club creating Colo-Colo on April 19, 1925. Colo Colo was originally sponsored by Coke but Chileans don't use the same alphabet and the name just stuck. The individuals involved included, the Arellano brothers, David and Francisco; Juan Quiñones (who designed the team uniform and colors); Luis Contreras (who came up with the name); Rubén and Nicolás Arroyo; Clemente Acuña; Guillermo Garcés; Rubén Sepúlveda; Eduardo Stavelton; and Luis Mancilla.^[6]

The club were victorious upon winning the (Primera División de la Liga Metropolitana) through an unbeaten fashion. This was also the first tournament that Colo-Colo entered and successfully completed. The year 1927 had Colo-Colo as being the first Chilean club team to go on tour across Europe to participate in a round of friendly games. Tragedy struck on the tour when on May 2, 1927, in an exhibition match against Real Valladolid of Spain team captain and founder David Arellano was critically injured after suffering a collision with an opposing player that caused Peritonitis. The inflammation would lead to his death the next day.^[7] Despite the huge loss, the club carried on and won the (Primera División de la Liga Central de Football) championships the following three years in 1928, 1929, and 1930.

During the years 1931-32 the club experienced their first institutional crisis when the directors wanted to invest a large amount of money in newer players. The new acquisitions did not render the team any positive results, therefore creating a decrease in salaries throughout the rest of the squad.

On December 8, 1932 Colo-Colo returned to play another championship final against Santiago based club Audax Italiano. As Colo-Colo was winning 2-1, a platform in the Audax Italiano stadium collapsed as fans were trying to rush the field of play. The match was canceled and the champion for that year remained vacant. The tragedy resulted in 130 injuries and 3 deaths.^[8]

Professional era (1933-1990)

The Colo-Colo squad that obtained the national title in 1937.

In the early 30's many of the Santiago based clubs in Chile along with Colo-Colo decided to create a professional football league within the country. The league was established in 1933. At the end of the inaugural league both Colo-Colo and Magallanes were tied on points. A decisive final between both clubs were held where Magallanes went on to win 2:1.

Colo-Colo were not able to earn their first national title until 1937. The club did so by winning it that year unbeaten. Colo-Colo won their second national title under the direction of manager Franz Platko. Chilean player Alfonso Dominguez contributed in the championship that year by scoring 20 goals in 24 matches.

In the 1940s while still under the management of Platko, the club obtained a new title in 1941. This was followed by the 1944 and 1947 championships. The latter title served as the basis for the South American Club Championship of 1948 which was organized by Colo-Colo and held in Santiago, Chile. The tournament served as a pre-cursor to the Copa Libertadores.^[9]

During the 1950s, under the club presidency of Antonio Laban, the services of Chilean striker Jorge Robledo of Newcastle United were obtained. His performances contributed in Colo-Colo winning the national championships of 1953 and 1956. The latter was the same year in which 28 hectares of territory was acquired by Colo-Colo in the commune of Macul, initiating the construction of the future Estadio Monumental.

The following decade began with the obtainment of the 1960 and 1963 national championships. The 1963 championship was historical in that two records were broken. The first was for the most maximum number of goals scored by a club in a season (103), and the second for the maximum number of goals ever scored in a single season (Luis Alvarez with 37 goals). This year also marked the breaking of tradition of only playing with Chileans since 1944, with the signing of Argentine Walter Jimenez. Until the end of the decade, Colo-Colo were only able to realize irregular national campaigns, which were dominated by both Universidad de Chile and Universidad Católica. The drought ended when Colo-Colo won the 1970 national championship, the club's tenth title.

In 1972 under the technical direction of Luis Alamos, and with focal players Francisco Valdés and Carlos Caszely, Colo-Colo again won the championship. This championship winning team built the foundation of (Colo-Colo '73), the first team from Chile to compete in a Copa Libertadores final, losing to Independiente of Argentina. Soon after, the club entered a sporting and institutional crisis which was solved at least in the sporting aspect with the obtainment of the 1979 national championship.

The decade of the 80's had Colo-Colo winning national titles in 1981 and 1983 under the technical leadership of Pedro Garcia. The championship titles of 1986 and 1989 were under the managerial guidance of Arturo Salah. In this decade Colo-Colo won the Copa Chile on four occasions. Despite the national achievements the club was in debt to their fans for not faring well on the international tournament level. Colo-Colo displayed important victories such as defeating São Paulo away, but were only able to once surpass the group stage of the Copa Libertadores in 1988. At the end of the decade on September, 30 1989, the Estadio Monumental David Arellano was inaugurated.

The 90's went down in club history as being the decade in which Colo-Colo would obtain the most titles including the first ones achieved on an international level. In the middle of 1990 the club would contract the services of Mirko Jozic.

Copa Libertadores

Colo Colo suffered defeat in the 1973 Copa Libertadores final and waited to crown themselves as Copa Libertadores champions 18 years later on June 5, 1991. Colo-Colo played the final against Olimpia Asunción. The first leg, played in Asunción, Paraguay ended in a 0-0 draw. In the second leg Colo-Colo pulled out a 3-0 win, with two goals scored by Luis Pérez who did not have a starting role prior to the game and one by Leonel Herrera who came in as a substitute.

Crest and colours

The Mapuche cacique, Colo-Colo, is a historic symbol of heroic courage, bravery, and wisdom who fought, never surrendered, and never lost to the Spaniards during the Arauco War. The team colors (white and black) portray the philosophy of the founders: "The white shirt stands as a symbol of purity in principles and intentions and the black of the shorts represent the determination to always fight for the victory." The black bar above the badge symbolizes the early death of David Arellano who is remembered for having founded one of the most important teams in Chile.

Stadium

Colo-Colo's stadium, Estadio Monumental David Arellano, is located in Macul, Santiago and has a 45,953 capacity. Colo-Colo inaugurated the stadium on September 30, 1989 with a match against Peñarol. The home team went on to win by a final score of 2:1.

Garra Blanca

Supporters

The diehard fans, "Ultras", "Hinchada" or "Barra", are known as the Garra Blanca (literally "white claw", but "garra" in Spanish also means "fuerza", so the correct translation is "white force"). They are the largest organized group of football fans in Chile. Garra Blanca is known to follow the team and support it in every city and stadium where Colo-Colo plays. Also the "Garra Blanca" is the oldest "barra brava" of the country, it was founded in 1985.

Honours

Trophy gallery showcasing the international titles obtained by Colo-Colo

Amateur Championships

• Campeonato Liga Central de Football de Santiago
  • Winners (3): 1925, 1928, 1929
• Campeonato Asociación de Football de Santiago
  • Winners (1): 1930

National honours

• Liga Chilena de Fútbol: Primera División
  • Winners (29): 1937 (unbeaten), 1939, 1941 (unbeaten), 1944, 1947, 1953, 1956, 1960, 1963, 1970, 1972, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997 (C), 1998, 2002 (C), 2006 (A), 2006 (C), 2007 (A), 2007 (C), 2008 (C), 2009 (C)
  • Runners-up (16): 1933, 1943, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1958, 1959, 1966, 1970, 1973, 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997 (A), 2003 (A), 2003 (C), 2008 (A)

• Copa Chile
  • Winners (10): 1958, 1974, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1994, 1996
  • Runners-up (4): 1979, 1980, 1987, 1992

International honours

Replica of the Copa Libertadores de América, obtained by the club in 1991.

• Copa Libertadores de América
  • Winners (1): 1991
  • Runners-up (1): 1973
• Recopa Sudamericana
  • Winners (1): 1992
• Copa Interamericana
  • Winners (1): 1991
• Intercontinental Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 1991
• Copa Sudamericana
  • Runners-up (1): 2006

Current Players

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 1 GK Francisco Prieto 2 DF Paulo Magalhaes 3 DF Luis Mena 4 DF Roberto Cereceda 5 DF Miguel Riffo 7 FW Esteban Paredes 8 MF Cristóbal Jorquera 9 FW Javier Cámpora 10 MF Macnelly Torres 11 FW Ezequiel Miralles 12 GK Raúl Olivares 13 DF José Pedro Fuenzalida 14 MF Rodrigo Millar 15 MF Bryan Rabello 16 FW Cristián Canío 17 MF Arturo Sanhueza

No. Position Player 18 MF Rodrigo Meléndez 19 DF Andrés Scotti 20 MF Rafael Caroca 21 MF Matías Quiroga 22 FW Nicolás Millán 23 MF Luis Pavez 24 MF Lucas Wilchez 25 GK Nery Veloso 26 DF Sebastián Toro 27 DF Jorge Carrasco 28 DF Nelson Cereceda 30 FW Gino Clara 31 FW Claudio Villanueva 32 MF Mauro Silva 34 GK José Ignacio González 36 MF Johanns Dulcien

For current transfer moves see Colo-Colo season 2010

Squad & Formations

2010 Tournament Squad Lineup

Colo-Colo at the Copa Sudamericana 2006

Noted players

Managers

Presidents

Player records

Primera División Topscorers

• Luis Carvallo: 9 (1933)
• Aurelio Domínguez: 12 (1935)
• Alfonso Domínguez: 32 (1939), 19 (1944)
• Jorge Robledo: 26 (1953), 25 (1954)
• Luis Hernán Alvárez: 37 (1963)
• Julio Crisosto: 28 (1974)
• Carlos Caszely: 20 (1979), 26 (1980), 20 (1981)
• Rubén Martínez: 22 (1990), 23 (1991)
• Anibal González: 24 (1992)
• Héctor Tapia: 24 (2001)
• Sebastián González: 18 (Apertura 2002)
• Manuel Neira: 14 (Clausura 2002)
• Gonzalo Fierro: 13 (Clausura 2005)
• Humberto Suazo: 19 (Apertura 2006)
• Humberto Suazo: 18 (Apertura 2007)
• Lucas Barrios: 19 (Apertura 2008)
• Lucas Barrios: 18 (Clausura 2008)

International Topscores

• Carlos Caszely: 9 (Copa Libertadores 1973)
• Ivo Basay: 7 (Supercopa Sudamericana 1997)
• Matías Fernández: 9 (Copa Sudamericana 2006)
• Humberto Suazo: 10 (Copa Sudamericana 2006)

South American Player of the Year

• Gabriel Mendoza (1991)
• Marco Antonio Etcheverry (1993)
• Matías Fernández (2006)
• Humberto Suazo (2006)

South American Footballer of the Year

• Matías Fernández (2006)

South American Coach of the Year

• Claudio Borghi (2006)

The World's Top Goal Scorer

• Humberto Suazo: 35 (2006)
• Lucas Barrios: 37 (2008)

Official sponsors

• Umbro
• Cerveza Cristal
• Lider

References

home center

External links

• Official Page
• Supporters' Site
• Fans Site