Alfredo di Stefano turns 90: Legend of Argentine-Spanish football The great man of Real Madrid

Alfredo di Stefano was born on July 4, 1926, in Buenos Aires. He is remembered as one of the most important players in football history. He was nicknamed "La Ceta Rubia", which means "Blond Arrow", for his speed and sharpness in dribbling and finishing. His career began in Argentina with River Plate, followed by a key spell in Colombia with Milionarios, before moving to Real Madrid in 1953, which was a turning point in his career. With the Real shirt, Di Stefano became the backbone of the club's golden era. He helped the team win eight Spanish league titles and was part of the team that won five European Cups in a row between 1956 and 1960. A match that is still talked about today is the 1960 European Cup final where Real Madrid beat Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3 in front of more than 120,000 spectators in Glasgow. Di Stefano scored a hat-trick in that game and cemented his image as a world-class player. His personal achievements also include two Ballon d'Or awards in 1957 and 1959. Di Stefano has been granted Spanish citizenship and has played for the Spanish national team. But never got to play in the final round of the World Cup. This is considered one of the regrets of this great career path. After retiring from playing, he also worked as a coach for several clubs. Including managing Real Madrid and working with clubs like Boca Juniors, he also served as an assistant for the Venezuelan national team during the 1982 World Cup before playing roles at the club both as manager and club president at various times. Today, as Alfredo di Stefano's 90th birthday is commemorated, football fans around the world continue to recognize his greatness—a player who more than just scored goals. But he led the game and laid the foundations for Real's golden era. Madrid at European level