9 Jul 2014

Real Madrid great di Stefano dies

1:15 pm on 9 July 2014

The former Real Madrid forward Alfredo Di Stefano, one of the greatest footballers of all time, has died at the age of 88 in the Spanish capital, two days after suffering a heart attack.

Di Stefano, who was born in Argentina, helped transform Real into one of the world's leading teams in the 1950s and 60s.

Spain's state secretary for sport Miguel Cardenal said di Stefano laid the foundations of a team that was named the best of the 20th century, and he had no peer.

Known as the "Blond Arrow", he joined Real Madrid in 1953 and became a naturalised Spaniard three years later.