Alfredo di Stefano

[The Large One]

... has died, aged 88.

Many people from the football world singing his praises as 'one of the greatest ever'.

Who here saw him play - live or on the box? What was he like? How good was he?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Never saw him personally, but my dad saw him play in the 1960 European Cup final at Hampden. Attendance: 127,621. Real Madrid beat Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3. Di Stefano scored a hat trick. (his team mate Puskas scored four). Dad swore it was the best game of football he ever saw. Which it probably was, right up until Partick Thistle beat Celtic 4-1 in the 1971 Scottish League Cup final, also at Hampden. Which I was privileged to see also.

 

[Gullflyinghigh]

I never saw him play but he'd have to have been one hell of a player to be such a well known name this long after his career ended.

 

[catfish]

One of the all time legends.

 

[TomandJerry]

I've only heard good about him as a player

 

[Poyningsgull]

What a player he was. RIP

 

[Boys 9d]

I was lucky enough to see him live at Old Trafford in a friendly between Manchester United and Real Madrid whose squad probably made them the greatest club side of all time. Five consecutive European Championships being their record. I also saw the European Cup Final 1960 (on TV) and agree with Tom Hark's dad that it was the greatest game of football ever.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

Many say he was in the top five of all time - could play anywhere. Eusebio said he was his favourite player and his biggest thrill when Benfica beat Real Madrid to win the European Cup was getting di Stefano's shirt.

Uefa named him the best Spanish player of the 50 years up to 2003, Pele said he was the best Argentinian player ever - better than Messi or Maradona. He played for Argentina, where he was born, then Colombia, where he was a mercenary in an unlicensed league, then Spain after he became naturalised. Scored in five successive European Cup finals, all of which Real Madrid won. One of his teammates said they were an average team until he arrived....

And the best thing? Two years ago, at 86, he announced he was marrying a 35-year-old. His family tried to get him declared of unsound mind. I'm sure everyone hopes their relatives would do the same for them ...

 

[Wellesley]

Well he can't have been all that, coz I've never heard of him.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

Well he can't have been all that, coz I've never heard of him.

Well, he was "all that", whether you have ever heard of him or not.

 

[Landgull]

I watched the 1960 game on Black/White TV but had also seen various clippings on news at the flicks so was aware him. RIP.

 

[Wellesley]

Well, he was "all that", whether you have ever heard of him or not.

Ok Dave, thanks for letting me know.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

Ok Dave, thanks for letting me know.

No problem - I wasn't trying to be combative or provocative, either. I am sure there are plenty of pre-eminent people in life that I have never heard of. I am old enough to have caught up with the tail end of Di Stefano's career.

 

[Spun Cuppa]

I have a VHS of the 1960 final, with a gap in the coverage when they had to reload the camera with film, and in the context of the era, RM looked the part. Kocsis was a tricky winger, who complimented ADS and Puskas, who got a couple of goals also. After each goal went in, it was a quick handshake with the scorer, then back to the halfway line for the kickoff. Also, SAF was reputed to be in the crowd at the game...

 

[Cheshire Cat]

One of the top five players ever...

Di Stefano
Puskas
Pele
Cruyff
Beckenbauer

Make Ronaldo, Sanchez and Messi etc look like donkeys

 

[Spun Cuppa]

My bad

The tricky winger was Gento, of course

Am just watching it, as there is no footy on

 

[BN9 BHA]

And the best thing? Two years ago, at 86, he announced he was marrying a 35-year-old. His family tried to get him declared of unsound mind. I'm sure everyone hopes their relatives would do the same for them ...[/QUOTE]


Alfredo did Stefano- Lad

RIP

 

[brakespear]

Wish he had been around maybe ten years later so there was more video of him, not seenmuch myself but heard so many great things about him over the years. iirc from Bobby Charlton's autobiography di Stefano was his favourite player. RIP.

 

[Gullflyinghigh]

One of the top five players ever...

Di Stefano
Puskas
Pele
Cruyff
Beckenbauer

Make Ronaldo, Sanchez and Messi etc look like donkeys

The lack of Zidane makes me sad.

 

[e77]

Purely going on reputation, him and Puskas must have been quite an attacking pairing.