El Dorado (football)

El dorado was an era in the Colombia football league during the 1940's and early 1950's when the league broke away from FIFA. The Colombia football league turned professional in 1948. The Dimayor, the name of the league, broke away from FIFA after a dispute with the existing amateur football authority in Colombia. Therefore, all Colombian teams were suspended from playing international football. The Colombian national team was also under sanction. However, FIFA sanction did not hurt the breakway league. Instead, the Colombian league reached its golden era during the period. The best footballers in Latin America came to play in Colombia.

Foreign imports

The league was helped by two factors that saved them from destruction. The player strike in Argentina led to an exodus of Argentinian players into Colombia. Since the Colombian league was a FIFA affiliation, the Colombian clubs were not reuiped to pay transfer fees under FIFA rules. Alfonso Senior, the founder of Dimayor and the chairman of Millonarios, saw an opportunity to give the fledgling league a boost by poaching the Argentinian league for its star players. In 1949, Millonarios signed Adolfo Pedernera, a star with the legendary River Plate team of the 1940's better known as La Máquina. He joined the Millonarios on June 8, 1949. He arrived in Bogotá on June 10 and was greeted at the Aeropuerto de Techo by 5,000 fans transported by 200 cars and 25 buses. The club made 5 times more money on the day of the player's presentation than they earned on a regular league. All the clubs in Colombia realized how the star quality of Adolfo Pedernera generated revenue and they also started to sign players from all over Latin America. Deportivo Cali brought in players from Argentina. Deportivo Pereira brought in players from Paraguay. Independiente Medellín brought players in from Peru. Corporación Nuevo Cúcuta Deportivo signed 8 of the Uruguayan team that won the World Cup in 1950. Of course, Millonarios went back to Argentina and brought in Alfredo Di Stefano and Hector Rial who would later star for the legendary Real Madrid team of the 1950's. Independiente Santa Fe went further by looking for players in England. They pulled off a coup by signing Neil Franklin and George Mountford from Stoke, and Charlie Mitten from Manchester United. Again, Millonarios reacted to the English signing by bringing in Billy Higgins of Everton FC and Bobby Flavell of Hearts. However, all of the British imports, except Charlie Mitten, left without finishing their contract.

Winners

Millonarios would win 4 out of 5 titles between 1949 and 1953 in the era known as El dorado. Once Caldas took the other title in 1950. Millonarios fielded as many as 10 Argentinians at a time during its height.

The end

The madness of El dorado began almost as soon as it started. By 1950, Alfredo Senior agreed to end the madness of El dorado. The FIFA allowed the Colombia to run their breakqay league for another 5 years, but the star players would return to the original clubs in 1954. In return, Alfredo Senior was elected to the FIFA committee and he remained there for years to come. Alfredo Di Stefano and Hector Rial would move to Europe in 1953 and marked the beginning of the end for El dorado. Due to the complex situation involving Di Stefano's original club, the River Plate and Millonarios, and Dimayor's status as a breakaway league, the transfer of Di Stefano to La Liga led to a major conflict between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.