Colo Colo

1925–1933: Foundation and early years

The team was founded in early 1925 by Magallanes' footballer David Arellano, who led a group of young players leaving that club after institutional problems. Finally, after meetings and negotiations, on 19 April 1925 Arellano and the other youths officially established the club, with Luis Contreras choosing the name "Colo-Colo" for the club, in reference to the legendary cacique (chieftain) Colo Colo of the Mapuche people, who fought against the colonial Spaniards in the 16th-century Arauco War.

Initially the team played friendly games, but in 1926 Colo-Colo took part in their first competition, the Metropolitan League of Honour, where they were proclaimed champions (unbeaten) and earned the nickname of "invincible". The following year, Colo-Colo became the first Chilean football team to participate in a tour across Europe. However, on 2 May, during an exhibition match against Real Unión Deportiva at Valladolid, the team founder and captain David Arellano was critically injured after suffering a collision with an opposing player, which caused him peritonitis. The inflammation led to his death the next day. Despite the great impact caused by Arellano's death, the club won the Central League of football tournament – then renamed Asociación de Football de Santiago – in the 1928, 1929 and 1930 seasons.

In the 1931–32 season, Colo-Colo suffered its first institutional crisis due to financial problems, which led to a salary reduction for first team footballers and board members, with their consequent resistance. That season the team played another tournament final against Audax Italiano. However, due to a platform collapse at Estadio Italiano and the subsequent fracas between the fans, it was decided that the game would be suspended. In that moment, Colo-Colo were winning 2–1. That day's tragedy resulted in 130 injuries and three deaths. The match was cancelled and the champion position for that year remained vacant. Other authors however declared that both Audax Italiano and Colo-Colo were declared champions.

1933–1973: Beginnings in professional football

In 1933, Colo-Colo alongside six clubs from Santiago decided to create the Chilean professional football league. On 23 July, the team won the Campeonato de Apertura (Copa Chile precursor), after defeating 2–1 to Unión Española. However, in the first Primera División official tournament, Colo-Colo finished first alongside Magallanes, which forced the "Cacique" to play a tie-breaker match. That match was lost 2–1 by Colo-Colo. In 1937 the team was undefeated, and reached its first league title. Two seasons later, in 1939, Colo-Colo won the league title for a second time, now under the guidance of the Hungarian coach Francisco Platko, and with Alfonso Domínguez as goalscorer with 20 goals in 24 matches. After another title in 1941 with Platko as coach, the club went on to win the titles of 1944 and 1947. The following year Colo-Colo organized the South American Club Championship – Copa Libertadores background – in Santiago, which brought together the 1947 continent's champions. In 1945, the club had the worst season in its history, finishing penultimate in eleventh place only ahead of weak Badminton.

In the early 1950s, club's president Antonio Labán hired Newcastle United striker George Robledo, paying £25,000 for its signing. Robledo's performances led the team to the titles of 1953 and 1956. During that age, the club acquired a terrain at Macul, where began the construction of Estadio Monumental. Besides the acquisition, the directive invested in a headquarters located at Santiago Centro (located at Cienfuegos 41) in 1953. The next decade Colo-Colo win the titles of 1960 and 1963. The 1963 team broke two top-tier records: Luis Hernán Álvarez scored 37 goals in a single season (the highest number of goals scored by a Colo-Colo footballer during a season) and the netting of the highest number of goals scored by a club in a season (130). The team won its tenth honour in 1970.

Colo-Colo 1973 and 1980s dominance

In 1972, under the orders of coach Luis Álamos and boasting star players in play maker Francisco Valdés and goal scorer Carlos Caszely, the club won another championship. It also obtained the country's highest average attendance record of 45,929 people for a single league season. That team was the spine of the aptly-named "Colo-Colo 73" side that captured the nation's heart becoming the first Chilean side to reach a Copa Libertadores final, where it lost to Independiente of Argentina. After Colo-Colo's brilliant Copa campaign, the club fell into an institutional crisis unable to replicate its success on the pitch failing to win another league title until 1979. That team featured the talented Brazilian midfielder Severino Vasconcelos alongside Carlos Caszely returning from his stint in Spanish football. Nevertheless, in 1975, the construction of Estadio Monumental was completed and the stadium was inaugurated in a league match against Deportes Aviación, but due to problems with infrastructure and other basic services the stadium was closed indefinitely.