Ballet Azul
Encyclopedia
The Ballet Azul is a term coined in Colombia
in the 1950s to describe the Millonarios football team of Bogotá
, during its successuful period from 1949–1964, because the blue color of their uniform, the large number of stars who owned the team, and the quality of its game. The term was coined by the announcer Carlos Arturo Rueda.
Later in the 1960s, in Chile
and Ecuador
, both used the nickname (Ballet Azul) to refer to Universidad de Chile
football team during its successful period from 1959–1969, and Emelec
of Guayaquil
respectively.
, when the football league broke away from FIFA
, because the Colombia football league turned professional in 1948. Instead, the Colombian league reached its golden era during the period. The best footballers in Latin America came to play in Colombia.
In this period the best team was Millonarios, with players like Adolfo Pedernera
, a star with the legendary River Plate
team of the 1940s better known as La Máquina
; Alfredo Di Stefano
, who would later star for the legendary Real Madrid
team of the 1950s; and Néstor Rossi
.
The team won the Colombian League championship in 1949, 1951, 1952
, 1953, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964
In addition, the best players were part of the Ballet Azul in the era of el Dorado of the Colombian football (1949–1954):
championship in 1959, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967 and 1969.
In addition, many of the players were part of the Chilean national team
that managed to win a bronze medal at the 1962 FIFA World Cup
. Following the success, the club was invited to a European tour where they beat teams like Internazionale F.C., champion of Italy and Europe.
Among the most outstanding team members of the Chilean Ballet Azul were:
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
in the 1950s to describe the Millonarios football team of Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
, during its successuful period from 1949–1964, because the blue color of their uniform, the large number of stars who owned the team, and the quality of its game. The term was coined by the announcer Carlos Arturo Rueda.
Later in the 1960s, in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
and Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, both used the nickname (Ballet Azul) to refer to Universidad de Chile
Universidad de Chile (football club)
Club Universidad de Chile is a professional football club based in Santiago, Chile, which plays in the Primera División.The club was founded on May 24, 1927, as Club Deportivo Universitario. Universidad de Chile is the second most successful and popular football clubs in Chile, having won the...
football team during its successful period from 1959–1969, and Emelec
Club Sport Emelec
Club Sport Emelec is a Ecuadorian sports club based in Guayaquil that is best known for their professional football team. The football team plays in the Ecuadorian Serie A, the highest level of professional football in the country....
of Guayaquil
Guayaquil
Guayaquil , officially Santiago de Guayaquil , is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador,with about 2.3 million inhabitants in the city and nearly 3.1 million in the metropolitan area, as well as that nation's main port...
respectively.
Millonarios, the first Ballet Azul
The term was born in the era known like El Dorado, in ColombiaColombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, when the football league broke away from FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
, because the Colombia football league turned professional in 1948. Instead, the Colombian league reached its golden era during the period. The best footballers in Latin America came to play in Colombia.
In this period the best team was Millonarios, with players like Adolfo Pedernera
Adolfo Pedernera
Adolfo Alfredo Pedernera , born in Avellaneda, Argentina, was a football player and coach. Nicknamed "El Maestro" , He is still considered by many to be one of the greatest Argentine players of all-time. He was elected the 12th best South american footballer of the 20th century in a poll by the...
, a star with the legendary River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....
team of the 1940s better known as La Máquina
La Máquina
La Máquina is a nickname given to the River Plate team of the early 1940s. The core group of la Máquina were forwards Juan Carlos Muñoz, José Manuel Moreno, Adolfo Pedernera, Ángel Labruna, and Félix Loustau...
; Alfredo Di Stefano
Alfredo Di Stéfano
Alfredo Stéfano Di Stéfano Laulhé, born into a family of Italian immigrants from Capri, is a former Argentinian footballer and coach, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time...
, who would later star for the legendary Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
team of the 1950s; and Néstor Rossi
Néstor Rossi
Néstor Raúl "Pipo" Rossi was an Argentine football midfielder.-Playing career:Nicknamed "Pipo", he started his career at River Plate, playing from 1945 to 1949, and then again from 1955 to 1958, winning a total of 5 Argentine leagues. In total, Rossi played 155 matches for River Plate scoring 7...
.
The team won the Colombian League championship in 1949, 1951, 1952
1952 Copa Mustang
1952 Copa Mustang was the first tournament to have and odd team number; this meant that each team would have a chance to rest for a week while waiting again for their tourn...
, 1953, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964
In addition, the best players were part of the Ballet Azul in the era of el Dorado of the Colombian football (1949–1954):
- Alfredo Di Stéfano
Alfredo Di StéfanoAlfredo Stéfano Di Stéfano Laulhé, born into a family of Italian immigrants from Capri, is a former Argentinian footballer and coach, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time... - Adolfo PederneraAdolfo PederneraAdolfo Alfredo Pedernera , born in Avellaneda, Argentina, was a football player and coach. Nicknamed "El Maestro" , He is still considered by many to be one of the greatest Argentine players of all-time. He was elected the 12th best South american footballer of the 20th century in a poll by the...
- Néstor Raul RossiNéstor RossiNéstor Raúl "Pipo" Rossi was an Argentine football midfielder.-Playing career:Nicknamed "Pipo", he started his career at River Plate, playing from 1945 to 1949, and then again from 1955 to 1958, winning a total of 5 Argentine leagues. In total, Rossi played 155 matches for River Plate scoring 7...
- Julio CozziJulio CozziJulio Adolfo Cozzi was an Argentine football goalkeeper who won the Copa América 1947 with the Argentina national team....
- Raúl Pini
- Francisco Zuluaga
Francisco ZuluagaFrancisco "Cobo" Zuluaga Rodríguez is a retired Colombian footballer. He competed for the Colombian national football team at the 1962 FIFA World Cup, which was held in Chile.... - Julio César Ramírez
Julio César RamírezJulio César Ramírez is a Uruguayan footballer currently playing for Progreso of the Primera B Uruguaya.-Teams: Montevideo Wanderers F.C. 2000-2004 Audax Italiano 2005 Miramar Misiones 2005 Progreso 2006-present... - Ismael Soria
- Reinaldo Mourín
- Antonio Báez
- Hugo Reyes
- Carlos AldabeCarlos AldabeCarlos Roberto Aldabe was an Argentine Association Football player and coach. He is mostly known for leading the then prominently staffed Colombian club CD Los Millonarios as player-manager to their first championship.As player Roberto "Cacho" Aldabe was from 1939 to 1944 a defender with CA...
(Manager) - Gabriel Ochoa UribeGabriel Ochoa UribeGabriel Ochoa Uribe is a former Colombian football player and manager. He won four league titles and the Copa Colombia with Millonarios as a player and a remarkable 14 league titles as a manager making him the most successful Colombian coach of all time.-Playing career:Ochoa Uribe started his...
- Ramon Villaverde
Universidad de Chile, the Chilean Ballet Azul
The team won the Chilean leagueLiga Chilena de Fútbol: Primera División
The Primera División del Fútbol Profesional Chileno is the top level of Chilean football, and main component of the Chilean football league system. It is organized by the Asociación Nacional de Fútbol Profesional and is currently ranked 9th in the IFFHS' Best Leagues of the World ranking...
championship in 1959, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967 and 1969.
In addition, many of the players were part of the Chilean national team
Chile national football team
The Chilean national football team represents Chile in all major international football competitions. The team is controlled by the Federación de Fútbol de Chile which was established in 1895. They have appeared in eight World Cup tournaments and were hosts of the 1962 FIFA World Cup finishing in...
that managed to win a bronze medal at the 1962 FIFA World Cup
1962 FIFA World Cup
The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup, was held in Chile from 30 May to 17 June. It was won by Brazil, who retained the championship by beating Czechoslovakia 3–1 in the final...
. Following the success, the club was invited to a European tour where they beat teams like Internazionale F.C., champion of Italy and Europe.
Among the most outstanding team members of the Chilean Ballet Azul were:
- Leonel Sanchez
Leonel SánchezLeonel Guillermo Sánchez Lineros is a former professional football player.Regarded as one of Chile's most important players, Sánchez holds the record for most games played for Chile with 84 games and 23 goals between 1955 and 1968... - Rubén MarcosRubén MarcosRubén Marcos Peralta was a Chilean football player.During his career, Marcos played for Universidad de Chile, Palestino and the Chile national football team, and took part in the 1966 FIFA World Cup and the South American Championship 1967...
- Luis EyzaguirreLuis EyzaguirreLuis Armando Eyzaguirre Silva , also known as Fifo, is a former Chilean football player. He played right midfield in the Universidad de Chile football team known as the Ballet Azul, with which he won four national championships.He played in 1959 Copa América and in the FIFA World Cup he achieved...
- Sergio NavarroSergio NavarroSergio Navarro is a former Chilean footballer. He has played for Universidad de Chile, Colo-Colo and Unión Española and appeared for the Chile national football team in the 1962 FIFA World Cup, held in Chile....
- Jaime RamírezJaime RamírezJaime Caupolicán Ramírez Banda was a Chilean football striker.-Club:He was skillful with the ball, he had great technique and even at his height, he had a great heading shot, he played in the junior divisions of Bádminton , Universidad de Chile in the Ballet Azul years, Colo-Colo champion with the...
- Ernesto AlvarezErnesto ÁlvarezErnesto Bernardo Álvarez was an Argentine and Chilean football striker. He played club football in Argentina and Chile....
- Carlos Campos
- Braulio MussoBraulio MussoBraulio Musso is a former Chilean footballer who played for Universidad de Chile and was a member of the Chile national football team at the FIFA World Cup Chile 1962, but did not play in any games....
- Carlos ContrerasCarlos Contreras (footballer)Carlos Contreras is a Chilean football defender who played for Chile in the 1962 FIFA World Cup. He also played for Club Universidad de Chile.-External links:*...
- Manuel AstorgaManuel AstorgaManuel Astorga is a Chilean football goalkeeper who played for Chile in the 1962 FIFA World Cup. He also played for Club Universidad de Chile.-External links:*...
- Alberto QuintanoAlberto QuintanoAlberto Guillermo Quintano Ralph , commonly known as El Mariscal, is a former Chilean footballer. He has played as a defender for Universidad de Chile in Chile's Primera División.-Player career:...
- Luis Alamos Luque (technical director)
- Ulises Ramos (technical director)