Alfredo di Stefano: Real Madrid legend dies aged 88

AFP/Madrid

Alfredo di Stefano, who died yesterday at the age of 88, was one of the greatest footballers ever to grace the earth, held in the same esteemed regard as Pele, Diego Maradona and Johan Cruyff, and will forever be known as the “Blonde Arrow” of the all-conquering Real Madrid sides of the 1950s and 1960s.

Di Stefano died in Madrid’s Gregorio Maranon hospital where he had lain in a coma after suffering a heart attack. He was struck down after having lunch at a restaurant with his family on Saturday, not far from his beloved club’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

Di Stefano had been hospitalised seven times for similar episodes, and underwent emergency quadruple heart by-pass surgery after suffering a major heart attack in 2005 just after the death of his wife Sara.

“Alfredo Di Stefano died today at 5:15 pm” (1515 GMT) at the Gregorio Maranon hospital in the Spanish capital, Real Madrid said in a statement yesterday.

“Real Madrid Football club’s president Florentino Perez and the club’s board of directors wish to express their deepest condolences and all their love and affection to his children, his family and friends,” it added.  “Real Madrid extends its condolences to its fans around the world and to those who are feeling the emotion of losing the best player of all time.”

A complete player capable of disorienting dribbles, pinpoint passes and a lethal threat in front of goal, Di Stefano combined exquisite technical ability with tactical nous and an irrepressible spirit.

Born in 1926 in Buenos Aires to a modest family, Di Stefano joined River Plate, one of Argentina’s most storied clubs, as a teenager. He made his debut for them in 1945 at the age of 19 against Huracan, the outfit with whom he would spend the following season on loan before returning to his parent club. Upon his return Di Stefano would form part of a much-vaunted attacking trio alongside Jose Manuel Moreno and Angel Labruna.

Short-lived Argentina career

1947 was a pivotal year for Di Stefano as he helped River Plate to the league title before netting six goals in his country’s triumphant Copa America campaign, which would mark both the beginning and end of his short-lived Argentina career. 

A player strike prompted the Argentine championship to grind to a halt the following season, resulting in a mass player exodus that saw Di Stefano pack his bags and head for Colombia’s Millonarios.

He won the Colombian title in his first season before adding the 1951 and 1952 titles to his list of honours and his individual displays prompted a host of big-name European suitors to come calling.

After a long, complicated transfer wrangle with bitter rivals Barcelona, it was ultimately Real Madrid, thanks in large part to then president Santiago Bernabeu, who won the race for Di Stefano’s signature. 

Di Stefano immediately flourished in the Spanish capital as he helped Madrid end a 21-year wait for the league title in his first season before collecting a further seven league crowns during his time at the club, during which he formed formidable partnerships with the likes of Ferenc Puskas, Francisco Gento and Raymond Kopa.

However, it was on the European stage that Di Stefano truly cemented his status as one of the game’s greats, helping Real win the first five editions of the European Cup between 1956 and 1960, a record that stands to this day.

He was also a two-time European Football of the Year in 1957 and 1959, but despite all the accolades a World Cup finals appearance was to elude him.

Argentina didn’t participate at either the 1950 or 1954 finals and having attained Spanish citizenship in 1956 Di Stefano then missed out on the 1958 finals as Spain failed to qualify. La Roja reached the 1962 tournament in Chile but injury prevented Di Stefano, then aged 35, from taking part despite travelling with the team.

Global Fame

His global fame would serve to his detriment while on a pre-season tour to South America in 1963 as he was kidnapped in Caracas by a Venezuelan revolutionary group, seeking to divert attention towards their cause, before being released unharmed two days later. 

He left Real after the 1964 season and would finish his playing days at Espanyol two years later before turning his focus to coaching. He started in the dugout of modest Spanish side Elche in 1967 prior to spells at Boca Juniors, Valencia, River Plate and Real Madrid among others before calling time on his managerial career in 1991.

Di Stefano was named Real Madrid’s honorary president in 2000 and the club has since named its reserve team’s home ground in his honour.  A father of six children he was predeceased by his wife Sara who died in 2005. His daughter Nanette Norma passed away in 2012.

FACTBOX on  Di Stefano

Born on July 4, 1926 in Buenos Aires, of Italian parents.

EARLY CAREER

Begins career at River Plate in 1945 before being loaned out to Huracan a year later.

Rejoins River in 1947 and they go on to win the Argentine first division championship with Di Stefano finishing as the league’s top scorer with 27 goals in 30 games.

Signs for Colombian club Millonarios in 1949 following a players’ strike in Argentina. Scores an astonishing 267 goals in 292 games, helping Millonarios to four league titles.

REAL MADRID

Impresses Real Madrid in exhibition match to mark their 50th anniversary in 1952 and signs for them a year later after a tug-of-war with Barcelona.

Real win the 1953-54 Championship and Di Stefano finishes as top scorer in Spanish league with 27 goals in 28 games.

Di Stefano scores in 4-3 victory over Stade Reims as Real Madrid win first European Cup in 1956.

Real go on to win European Cup five times in a row. 

Real win first ever club world title with a 5-1 aggregate victory over Uruguay’s Penarol in former Intercontinental Cup final in 1960. Di Stefano scores one goal.

Kidnapped by a revolutionary group while on tour in Venezuela in 1963. Released unharmed three days later.

Wins eighth Spanish title with Madrid in 1964 before playing in his seventh final of the European Cup. Real lose 3-1 to Inter Milan, Di Stefano’s last match with the club before joining Espanyol.

INTERNATIONAL CAREER:

Wins six caps for Argentina in 1947, helping them win Copa America in Ecuador.

Switches allegiance to Colombia in 1949, making four appearances although they are not officially recognised by FIFA.

Becomes a naturalised Spaniard in 1956 and scores a hat-trick in his first game for Spain a year later.

Plays 31 times for Spain, scoring 23 goals, making him the fifth highest scorer in the history for Spanish team.

COACHING CAREER:

Began coaching at Elche in 1967.

Took Boca Juniors to Argentine National Championship in 1970.

Coached Valencia to their fourth Spanish title in 1971 then led them to European Cup Winners’ Cup victory in 1980.

Won Argentine National Championship with River Plate in 1981.

Coached Real Madrid between 1982 and 1984 as they finish twice runners-up

Took charge of Real Madrid with Jose Antonio Camacho on a caretaker basis in 1990 for four months.

HONOURS:

During his career at Real, won eight Spanish titles, one Spanish Cup, five European and one Intercontinental Cup.

Scored 49 goals in 58 European Cup games, a record that stood to this season.

Named European Footballer of the Year in 1957 and 1959.

Five times the top goalscorer in the Spanish league.

Real’s record goalscorer with 418 goals in 510 games.

His overall total in the Spanish league of 227 goals is third behind Zarra and Hugo Sanchez, who both played more games and more seasons than Di Stefano.

Named Greatest European player of all-time in 1991.

Included as one of 10 legendary players in FIFA’s Hall of Fame in 1998.

Made honorary president of Real Madrid in 2000.