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 team, and the quality of its game. The term was first used by the sportscaster Carlos Arturo Rueda.
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Later in the 1960s, in Chile, Ecuador and Costa Rica, was used the same term to refer to Universidad de Chile during its successful period from 1959–1969, Emelec, and C.S. Cartaginés respectively.
Millonarios, the first Ballet Azul
The term was born in the era known like El Dorado, in Colombia, 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):
Universidad de Chile, the Chilean Ballet Azul
The team won the Chilean league championship in 1959, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967 and 1969, Tournament Metropolitan in 1968, 1969 and the Cup Francisco Candelori in 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: