Alfredo di Stefano RIP

[Blaarev]

A legend has passed away

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jul/07/alfredo-di-stefano-dies-real-madrid

 

[fox58]

Talking about him on the radio today, saying one of the greatest players, never to have appeared at a World Cup

 

[tedfoxxx]

'A game without goals is like an afternoon without sunshine'

 

[David Gwilliam]

Today I lost part of my youth - as I did when Rocky Marciano and Elvis died. Younger members of the forum will eventually feel the same when they lose 21st century heroes like Phil Neville and Michael Gove.

Di Stefano was arguably already the best footballer in the world when he arrived in Spain expecting to join Barcelona. What happened then was quite extraordinary. The Spanish FA decided he would play for Real Madrid the first season and Barcelona the second. Suddenly Barcelona lost interest in him. I was told that this was because Franco (Spanish dictator) was a Real Madrid supporter and the owner of Barcelona was threatened with a tax investigation if they signed Di Stefano. It is rare that you can say that there is a best club in Europe and not have anyone argue. Real Madrid were unarguably the best team in Europe winning the equivalent of Champions League five years running. Di Stefano scored in every final.

In 1960 their supremacy seemed threatened Eintracht had a wonderful team and had put six goals past Rangers home and away. Real Madrid gave them a master class winning 7-3 in what is regarded as one of the best matches ever. Di Stefano scored three while his friend the great Puskas scored four.

The charmless Diego Maradona who always disliked the fact that there had been better footballers than him complained that Di Stefano had never played in a world cup as he also sneered that Pele never played European football. I would say there was an unpleasant primadonna attitude in Maradona whereas for Pele and Di Stafano it really was the beautiful game.

The Daily Telegraph writes that with the possible exception of Pele he was the greatest footballer of all time. Pele and Eusebio have described Di Stefano as the best ever. Di Stefano himself parried questions about his ability by saying that it is a team game.

 

[bocadillo]

Talking about him on the radio today, saying one of the greatest players, never to have appeared at a World Cup

And that was despite him having played for no less than three countries!

He first played for Argentina in the late 40s but Argentina refused to play in the 1950 WC. They didn't enter again in 1954 but even if they had he would not have been able to play for them because he had turned out in an international for Colombia. In the mid-50s he had taken out Spanish citizenship and played for Spain in the qualifying competition for the 1958 WC but even with his undoubted skills they failed to qualify - so that was him out again. By the time the 1962 competition came round he was in his late 30s; this time with his help, Spain qualified for the finals but he was injured shortly before the team left for Chile and soon afterwards retired from International football.

There was hardly any football on TV in the 50s but every schoolboy had seen clips of di Stefano's unique dribbling style with step-over after step-over encouraging the defender to jump in, only to see the ball whipped away at the last minute and di Stefano on his way with the hapless defender nowhere. He and Puskas led Real Madrid to European Cup victory year after year.

It was fortunate for Real though that they ever got him at the club. Those were the times when players really were owned by their clubs and there was one hell of a bust-up when di Stefano signed for Barcelona when his registration was held by a Colombian club (Millionaros?) who had not agreed to release him. FIFA became involved and said that the deal was OK but the Spanish FA refused to register him. It was then that Real Madrid poked their noses in and offered him a deal which he accepted; this time the Colombian club released him. Barcelona and Real were on no better terms then than they are now so you can imagine the complaints that went in. FIFA then refused to get involved and told the Spanish FA to get on with it. They decreed that the player had over the next four seasons to play for Barcelona for a season, then a season at Real, then back to Barcelona for another season before spending the fourth season back in Madrid. History will tell you that this never happened, Barcelona backing down and allowing him to go to Madrid full-time. It was never really explained why this happened but I'm sure it did nothing to help relationships in the world's biggest football rivalry.

The other di Stefano incident that sticks out in my mind was when he was kidnapped at gunpoint during a pre-season tour in Venezuela. I've long since forgotten what it was all about but I do remember waiting for news about it in much the same way that a few years earlier everybody was waiting to hear the news about the Manchester United team in Munich. I think it was two or three days before he was released unharmed.

 

[give_us_a_wave]

Before my time but he was still recent enough during my childhood to be a legendary figure in every football book I ever read & of course I've seen the footage 1000 times.Until someone else wins 5 in a row every "Greatest Team In The World" will be measured against that side.With his passing & Eusebio's not long ago that era is coming to its curtain call.The era of black & white telly & a few bob in change being enough to watch top class football.Like so many things it's a shame it had to change.But at least we have it to look back on.The game was still like that when I first came to it as a child & I'm certain that I had a better time because of it.I wouldn't want to be starting now that's for sure.

 

[bocadillo]

Today I lost part of my youth - as I did when Rocky Marciano and Elvis died. Younger members of the forum will eventually feel the same when they lose 21st century heroes like Phil Neville and Michael Gove.

I'm sure that you'll realise, David, that I am laughing only about the very last part of the above. I've got to say that I feel the same sort of loss that you do, although neither Marciano (I've never really liked boxing) nor Elvis affected me. My equivalents in the musical and sport (not football) fields would be Lennon (not of the Neil variety) and, when he finally does go, Stirling Moss. Choosing an ex-Manchester United player and a politician of any colour would be much harder.

 

[Blue Maniac]

Younger members of the forum will eventually feel the same when they lose 21st century heroes like Phil Neville and Michael Gove.

:icon_lol::icon_lol::icon_lol: Wonderful.

 

[pork pie fox]

Today I lost part of my youth - as I did when Rocky Marciano and Elvis died. Younger members of the forum will eventually feel the same when they lose 21st century heroes like Phil Neville and Michael Gove.

Di Stefano was arguably already the best footballer in the world when he arrived in Spain expecting to join Barcelona. What happened then was quite extraordinary. The Spanish FA decided he would play for Real Madrid the first season and Barcelona the second. Suddenly Barcelona lost interest in him. I was told that this was because Franco (Spanish dictator) was a Real Madrid supporter and the owner of Barcelona was threatened with a tax investigation if they signed Di Stefano. It is rare that you can say that there is a best club in Europe and not have anyone argue. Real Madrid were unarguably the best team in Europe winning the equivalent of Champions League five years running. Di Stefano scored in every final.

In 1960 their supremacy seemed threatened Eintracht had a wonderful team and had put six goals past Rangers home and away. Real Madrid gave them a master class winning 7-3 in what is regarded as one of the best matches ever. Di Stefano scored three while his friend the great Puskas scored four.

The charmless Diego Maradona who always disliked the fact that there had been better footballers than him complained that Di Stefano had never played in a world cup as he also sneered that Pele never played European football. I would say there was an unpleasant primadonna attitude in Maradona whereas for Pele and Di Stafano it really was the beautiful game.

The Daily Telegraph writes that with the possible exception of Pele he was the greatest footballer of all time. Pele and Eusebio have described Di Stefano as the best ever. Di Stefano himself parried questions about his ability by saying that it is a team game.

Nice post DG, with a tremendous start :icon_lol:

 

[Brown Nose]

Alfredo Di Stefano: 0 World Cups, 0 goals.
Matthew Upson: 1 World Cup, 1 goal.

 

[Ike O'Noclassed]

Alfredo Di Stefano: 0 World Cups, 0 goals.
Matthew Upson: 1 World Cup, 1 goal.

Hardly a fair comparison. Upson never had to face Scotland in the qualifiers.