Alfredo Di Stefano Biography
Alfredo Di Stefano, born in 1924 in the Barracas neighborhood of Buenos Aires, was one of the best Argentine footballers of all time. In 1948, Grande Torino showed interest in him, but the following year he signed a contract with the Millonarios of Bogotá. However, the Colombian league is banned by FIFA and the players risk severe sanctions. After three years, Di Stefano returned to Argentina, but rejected River Plate's offer, judging it inadequate.
On 22 September 1953, after some discussion, he signed for Real Madrid, becoming one of the great protagonists in the club's history. From that moment, with Di Stefano in the team, Real Madrid achieved an unprecedented series of successes, winning both in Spain and abroad. The Argentine player is capable of playing any role on the pitch, thanks to his ability to build play, defend and score. With teammates of the caliber of Kopa, Del Sol, Puskas and Gento, Di Stefano became the leading man of the Spanish club.
In 1964, after eleven years spent with Real Madrid, Di Stefano moved to Espanyol in Barcelona. During a tour in Venezuela, he is kidnapped and held prisoner for two days by an anti-Franco revolutionary group. In the same year, he played his last European Cup final in Vienna, where Real Madrid lost to Inter.
Di Stefano was one of the few footballers in the world to have played for three different national teams: Argentina, Colombia and Spain. He also pursued a coaching career after retiring. However, despite the training, Di Stefano's fame is above all linked to his brilliant career as a football player, which made him a legend in the world of football.
