Colo-Colo

Colo-Colo is the largest and most famous of all the clubs who play football in Chile. The team has had many “firsts” and has won many trophies at the national, regional and international level. Known as the “Snow whites”, the team was formed in 1925 after another club, called Magallanes went through a administrative crisis. The administrators and players were split into two parties, one asking for the club to turn professional. A number of the younger players left the team and despite a number of attempts at getting the club back together, David Arellano decided to start Colo-Colo. The club is named after a Chilean Mapuche chief and since the beginning, has been in the top-flight, never to have gone down.

In 1927, in a match against Real Valladolid, team captain and founder, David Arellano was fouled badly, which led to Peritonitis and eventual death the next day. The team went through a difficult phase after Arellano’s death when the directors decided to get in new players who weren’t of much use to the club but just ended up lowering the average wages. The bad fortune seemed to continue as during a championship final against Audax Italiano, the Audax Italiano stadium collapsed as fans were trying to get onto the playing field. 3 people died while another 130 were injured in the mishap.