On the night of 24 August 1963, the Venezuelan revolutionary group Armed Forces of National Liberation (FALN), kidnapped Alfredo Di Stéfano at gunpoint from the Potomac Hotel in Caracas while his team, Real Madrid, were on a pre-season tour of South America. Last video : https://youtu.be/lOGNXuie5IQSome of the best from one of the greatest! After eliminating Barcelona in the semifinals, Real Madrid played in the final of the Hampden Park in Glasgow in front of 135,000 spectators against Eintracht Frankfurt. But, with Di Stéfano at the age of 37, Real won the 1963 title over Atletico Madrid, with Puskás finishing as top scorer once again. He scored 216 league goals in 282 games for Real (then a club record, since surpassed by Raúl and Cristiano Ronaldo), striking up a successful partnership with Ferenc Puskás. $9.99 +$3.99 shipping. [11] He is currently the sixth highest scorer in the history of Spain's top division, and Real Madrid's third highest league goalscorer of all time. Di Stéfano, Perdenera, and Nestor Rossi who joined Millonarios in the summer, formed the famous trio called the Ballet Azul and helped them win their first title ever beating Deportivo Cali in the 1949 final, with Di Stéfano scoring 16 goals in 14 games. In the Champions Cup the team had their way eliminating the Swiss and later Partizan Belgrade, after a suffering a 3–0 defeat in Yugoslavia. Alfredo di Stefano is ranked 129,649 th in the world and 40 th in FIFA Lands for Largest Furniture Restoration Industry, scoring 986.21 on the Spitz-Pollish Productivity Index . The record has since been surpassed by several players, with Real Madrid's Raúl the first in 2005. After his retirement as a player, Di Stéfano coached in both Spain and Argentina, enjoying league titles at Boca Juniors (Argentina) in 1970 and at Valencia (Spain) in 1971. Soon after Millonarios' return to Colombia, the Barcelona directors visited Buenos Aires and agreed with River Plate, the last FIFA-affiliated team to have held Di Stéfano's rights, for his transfer in 1954 for the equivalent of 150 million Italian lira (according to other sources 200,000 dollars). During his 11 seasons in Madrid, Di Stéfano led the league in scoring in four straight seasons (1956–59) and helped the team to win eight first-division titles (1954–55, 1957–58, 1961–64), the Spanish Cup (1962), five European Cups (1956–60), and the inaugural Intercontinental Cup (1960; played annually between the European and South American champions). 2007-ben Az UEFA elnökének díjának díjazottja. Helenio Herrera: Alfredo Di Stéfano was the greatest footballer of all time; much better even than Pelé. Di Stéfano refused Bernabéu's proposal and he moved to Real Espanyol. Though he had to leave the team for some time due to compulsory conscription, Di Stéfano contributed significantly to winning the 1947 Argentine Primera División, becoming the top scorer of the league with 27 goals. Di Stefano knew it. Di Stéfano's team would beat the Brazilians by 5–3. Club career statistics Di Stéfano made his Champions Cup debut against Servette in a 2–0 away win. Jurgen Klopp sparked controversy after he described the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano as a "training pitch" ahead of the first leg between Liverpool and Real Madrid in … In his first season with Real Madrid, Di Stéfano became the top scorer of the 1953–54 La Liga with 27 goals in 28 appearances, contributing significantly to the title victory as the Blancos managed to win the Spanish championship after two decades. This fact contributed greatly to intensifying the rivalry with the Catalan club. Alfredo Di Stefano made his debut with Real Madrid on the 23 September 1953 playing against the Nancy Football Club of France. The club won another league title in 1955 leaving Barcelona again in the second place of the table. Also, he is the only player in the world to own a Super Ballon D'Or. In the semifinals, Di Stèfano contributed to the success against the Hungarian Vasas and the team reached the final against Juan Alberto Schiaffino's Milan. The Colombians participated in the tournament and won it, after drawing 2–2 with Swedish champions IFK Norrköping and overcoming Los Blancos, who were managed by Uruguayan legend Hector Scarone, by a 4–2 margin with a brace from Saeta Rubia in the presence of President Santiago Bernabéu, who arrived to the stadium to observe Adolfo Pedernera. [12], Di Stéfano was awarded the Ballon d'Or for the European Footballer of the Year in 1957 and 1959. In the 1982–83 season they finished third in La Liga and were defeated in the finals of the Supercopa de España, Copa de la Liga, and Copa del Rey. However, he never played in the World Cup. But in the second leg, Real beat the Uruguayans by 5–0 with Di Stéfano scoring one goal on 4 September 1960. After the Superga air disaster, in May 1949, a friendly match between River Plate and Grande Torino was played and Di Stéfano was promised to the Granata. It was one of the most anticipated games of the tour, given the reputation that Pelé had started building. Omissions? Real won the 1957 championship and Di Stéfano was again the top scorer in the Liga with 31 goals. Along with Francisco Gento and José María Zárraga, he was one of only three players to play a part in all five victories, scoring goals in each of the five finals. His grandfather had emigrated to Argentina from Capri. Many international stars like the Hungarians Béla Sárosi, László Szőke, Lithuanian Vytautas Kriščiūnas, the Argentines René Pontoni, Héctor Rial, English Charlie Mitten from Manchester United for 5.000 pounds a year, Neil Franklin from Stoke City, French-Hungarian Ferenc Nyers, Italian Luigi Di Franco, the Brazilian legend Heleno de Freitas, and others had joined the league after legendary Perdenera first signed. Puskás and Gento both finished in the top ten. [30] Di Stéfano was released unharmed two days later close to the Spanish embassy without a ransom being paid, and Di Stéfano stressed that his kidnappers had not mistreated him. The strike lasted for 8 months until 1949 and it eventually meant the departure of the best Argentine footballers to other leagues, in particular Colombia's, which was one of the most lucrative in the world at the time. Di Stefano, who was born Alfredo Stefano di Stefano Laulhe in Buenos Aires on July 4, 1926, was an integral part of the Real Madrid side that won … Di Stéfano scored 25 goals, finishing behind only Juan Arza (28) among the scorers of the Spanish league. Alfredo Di Stefano: Real Madrid legend dies aged 88. Player strikes, and a dispute with the Brazilian Football Confederation, forced Argentina to withdraw from qualifying for the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, as well as the 1949 and 1953 South American Championships. Di Stéfano scored 32 goals in 34 games, more than any other player in the league. At the beginning of the season, the team had a pre-season tour in Venezuela as the team participated in the 1963 Small Club World Cup against São Paulo and FC Porto. After the Champions Cup final loss in 1964 against Inter Milan, president Santiago Bernabéu offered Di Stéfano a place on the Real Madrid coaching staff instead of renewing the player's contract. Od znacznie wyższej porażki drużynę uratował Jaume Domenech oraz system VAR. [6][7][8][9] He is best known for his achievements with Real Madrid, where he was instrumental in the club's domination of the European Cup and La Liga during the 1950s. During the season, Real also asserted itself in the last edition of the Latin Cup, overcoming Benfica 1–0 in the final with a decisive goal by Di Stéfano and at the end of the year, he won the 1957 Ballon d'Or. Di Stéfano was awarded the Ballon d’Or in 1957 1959 in recognition of his performances and those of this dream team. On their return, in Seville, Di Stéfano was greeted by the insulting choruses of opposing fans and Real were held to a 2–2 draw. During his stay in Madrid, Di Stéfano became a Spanish citizen and played 31 times for his adopted country between 1957 and 1961, scoring 23 goals. “Alfredo di Stéfano is maybe the greatest player I have ever seen. Di Stefano … [17] In 2008 Di Stéfano was honoured by both UEFA and Real Madrid with a special Presidents award issued by FIFA at a ceremony in Madrid, where a statue was also unveiled. He was a legendary player for the clubs. Alfredo Di Stefano, 1981, Svijet Sporta, Old Yugoslav Soccer Catd. Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stefano, regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, has died. Alfredo Stéfano Di Stéfano Laulhé (n. 4 iulie 1926 – d. 7 iulie 2014) a fost un fotbalist și antrenor de fotbal argentiniano-spaniol, considerat unul dintre cei mai mari jucători din istoria fotbalului. His career spanned eras which linked football’s yesteryear, its today and its tomorrow. Di Stéfano scored 23 goals in 29 games the following 1950 season, but Millonarios finished 2 points behind eventual champions Deportes Caldas. [31] Su padre también se llamaba Alfredo Di Stéfano; su madre era Eulalia Laulhé Gilmont y su abuelo paterno, Michele, fue el primer Di Stefano [n. 5] que llegó a Buenos Aires procedente de la isla napolitana de Capri. The Alfredo Di Stéfano Trophy ( Spanish: Trofeo Alfredo Di Stéfano) is an annual association … At the end of the year, on 18 December 1956, the first Ballon d'Or was awarded, and Di Stéfano missed on winning it by just 3 votes to Stanley Matthews. Alfredo Di Stéfano Trophy (testimonial match) was nominated for deletion. In the league he was again the top scorer with 24 goals, but despite that, Athletic Bilbao won the tournament ahead of Barça and Real. In the 1961-62 European season, Real reached the final of the tournament for the sixth time in its history, after eliminating Juventus and Standard Liège. He scored the first two goals of his career in a 3–1 victory against Estudiantes (LP). Alfredo Di Stéfano was born on July 4, 1926 in Buenos Aires, Argentina as Alfredo Di Stéfano Laulhe. But football history could have been different - very different indeed. Scored in most consecutive European Cup finals: 5. His career spanned eras which linked football’s yesteryear, its today and its tomorrow. [34][35][36], On 8 July, Di Stéfano's coffin was placed on public display at the Bernabéu Stadium. ALFREDO RELAÑO. The next year he became part of the first team which was called La Máquina due to their unprecedented success, consisting of players like the legendary Pedernera, Labruna Muñoz, and Loustau. [15] He was voted fourth, behind Pelé, Diego Maradona, and Johan Cruyff, in a vote organized by France Football magazine which consulted their former Ballon d'Or winners to elect the Football Player of the Century. As a result, Ferenc Puskás signed with Real Madrid in the summer of 1958 to strengthen the squad and Real Madrid would be blessed with one of the most lethal attacking pairs in the history of football. Due to a footballers' strike in Argentina in 1949, Di Stéfano went to play for Millonarios of Bogotá in the Colombian league. Di Stéfano scored a total of 267 goals in 292 games for Milionarios, and is considered as one of the best footballers the history of the Colombian League. In 1953 Di Stéfano arrived at Real Madrid, where he partnered with several outstanding forwards, including Ferenc Puskás, Raymond Kopa, and Gento. In the autumn of 1962, the Blancos were knocked out of the European Cup, against Anderlecht. I watched him in a match when Manchester United played against Real in the semi-final of the … – Madrid, 2014. július 7.) MADRID (AP) - Alfredo Di Stefano, the forward Real Madrid has hailed as being the most important component in its mid-20th century ascent to becoming a global powerhouse, has … “Alfredo di Stéfano is maybe the greatest player I have ever seen. [18], Born in Barracas, a neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Di Stéfano was the son of Alfredo Di Stéfano, a first-generation Italian Argentine (his father Michele emigrated to Argentina from Nicolosi in the 19th century), and Eulalia Laulhé Gilmont, an Argentine woman of French and Irish descent with her relatives being from Swinford, County Mayo.[19][20][21]. Real paid 5.5 million Spanish pesetas for the transfer, plus a 1.3 million bonus for the purchase, an annual fee to be paid to the Millonarios, and a 16,000 salary for Di Stéfano with a bonus double that of his teammates, for a total of 40% of the annual revenue of the Madrid club. The incident cost the Los Blancos the trophy as without Di Stéfano they could not overcome São Paulo in the final game. Real won the trophy with 3 wins and Di Stéfano finished as top scorer of the tournament with 4 goals (same as Vavá). Alfredo Di Stefano was unique. Explore {{searchView.params.phrase}} by colour family {{familyColorButtonText(colorFamily.name)}} Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. [10][30], A Spanish movie entitled Real, La Película (Real, The Movie), which recounted these events, was released on 25 August 2005. On 16 July 1959, Real Madrid hosted a match against Pelé and his Brazilian club, Santos FC, during their European tour. The stadium Alfredo Di Stéfano, illustrious name for which he qualified as “training ground” Jurgen Klopp, the last guest of the main field of that complex; It is located in an area as prominent as it is far from the city, where the sporting life and all the management of Madrid take place. The new season started with the inaugural Intercontinental Cup and the 0–0 draw in the first leg of the final against Peñarol in Montevideo on 4 July. The season started early with the participation of Real Madrid in the 1956 Small Club World Cup in Caracas, Venezuela as European champions. Di Stéfano scored 19 goals and won the top scorer award, obtaining the 1958 title at the expense of Atletico Madrid. [5] Di Stéfano also played four times for Colombia, during the Dimayor period of Colombian football. Di Stéfano retired from international football after the tournament. Di Stéfano scored five more goals during the championship - including his first hat-trick against Colombia - as Argentina successfully defended the title they had won the previous year on home soil.[25]. Di Stéfano - without ever holding a Colombian passport - made four appearances for the Colombian XI team, which did not appear in the official records of FIFA.[26]. Millonarios, who could not afford to pay the transfer fees anyhow, offered him a salary clearly higher than that at River Plate, and the Argentine forward started a new chapter in his career in Colombia, in period called El Dorado. He is best known for his achievements with Real Madrid, where he was instrumental in the club's domination of the European Cup and La Liga during the 1950s. He played for Argentina national team and Spain national team.He is regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time. In 2013, an 86-year-old Di Stéfano was in a relationship with his 36-year-old personal secretary, Gina González. Alfredo Di Stefano : Licence, download and use stock photos with IMAGO 8 March 2017 (2017-03-08) 16:00 Alfredo di Stéfano, Madrid Attendance: 830 Referee: Marco Guida (Italy) 7 March 2017 (2017-03-07) Huracán tried to sign Di Stéfano permanently at the end of a successful eighth-place season, but could not afford the 90,000 pesos River Plate asked for the transfer. He also returned to Valencia in 1986 to guide them back to La Liga by winning the Segunda Division after their relegation the season prior before his arrival. He is regarded as … View the profiles of people named Alfredo Di Stefano. Di Stéfano, whose idol was Paraguayan Arsenio Erico, the Independiente striker, learned from the big stars, especially Pedernera. In March 1952, Real Madrid organized a friendly tournament in the Spanish capital at its newly constructed home ground; River Plate was invited to participate in Real Madrid's 50th-anniversary tournament. During the final, Enrique Mateos, substituting for Puskás (the Hungarian feared retaliation and decided not to depart with the tam for the final in Stuttgart), took a penalty instead of Di Stéfano and missed it. Alfredo Di Stéfano, Actor: Saeta rubia. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Alfredo Stéfano Di Stéfano Laulhé ([alˈfɾeðo ði esˈtefano]; Barracas, 4 luglio 1926 – Madrid, 7 luglio 2014) è stato un calciatore e allenatore di calcio argentino naturalizzato spagnolo, di ruolo attaccante.. Soprannominato Saeta Rubia (Freccia Bionda) o Don Alfredo, è ritenuto uno dei più grandi giocatori di tutti i tempi, se non il migliore in assoluto. During the only match Di Stéfano played in the previous season, the president of Huracán was impressed by his potential; Di Stéfano agreed to join them, as he realised his chances of making the first team for River Plate were limited. Hours before the final, Di Stéfano explicitly criticized the tactics designed by Real Madrid coach Miguel Muñoz against Italian defender Giacinto Facchetti. [11], Di Stéfano resided in Spain until his death in 2014. After moving to Bogota in 1949, during a break in the Colombian League in 1951, friendly matches were organised under the name of combined XI of the Colombian league. Carlos Peucelle initially put Di Stéfano on the flank, a position in which Di Stéfano struggled; in a game against Atlanta of Pedernera, Peucelle decided to use him as a center forward and River eventually won 6–1. Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez and captain Iker Casillas were amongst those in attendance. The season finished with the loss of the 1958 Generalísimo Cup after they lost 2–0 to Athletic Bilbao. Sara died in 2005. 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