Alfredo di Stefano

The Large One

Who's Next?

Jul 7, 2003

52,343

97.2FM

• Jul 7, 2014

• #1

... 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

Will Post For Cash

Jul 6, 2003

70,143

• Jul 7, 2014

• #2

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

Registered User

Apr 23, 2012

4,279

• Jul 7, 2014

• #3

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

North Stand Brighton Boy

Dec 17, 2010

7,677

Worthing

• Jul 7, 2014

• #4

One of the all time legends.

 

T

TomandJerry

Well-known member

Oct 1, 2013

11,448

• Jul 7, 2014

• #5

I've only heard good about him as a player

 

P

Poyningsgull

Well-known member

Apr 12, 2007

1,625

• Jul 7, 2014

• #6

What a player he was. RIP

 

Boys 9d

Well-known member

Jan 3, 2012

1,793

Lancing

• Jul 7, 2014

• #7

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

Well-known member

Dec 12, 2007

8,797

Seven Dials

• Jul 7, 2014

• #8

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-known member

Jul 24, 2013

4,973

• Jul 7, 2014

• #9

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

 

DavidinSouthampton

Well-known member

NSC Patron

Jan 3, 2012

16,573

• Jul 7, 2014

• #10

Wellesley said:

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

Click to expand...

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

 

L

Landgull

New member

Oct 30, 2009

522

• Jul 7, 2014

• #11

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-known member

Jul 24, 2013

4,973

• Jul 7, 2014

• #12

DavidinSouthampton said:

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

Click to expand...

Ok Dave, thanks for letting me know.

 

DavidinSouthampton

Well-known member

NSC Patron

Jan 3, 2012

16,573

• Jul 7, 2014

• #13

Wellesley said:

Ok Dave, thanks for letting me know.

Click to expand...

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

Thanks Greens :(

Jul 2, 2009

5,352

'We're on the road to nowhere...'

• Jul 7, 2014

• #14

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

The most curious thing..

Nov 4, 2006

11,431

Sitting on a bough of a tree a few yards off...

• Jul 7, 2014

• #15

One of the top five players ever...

Di Stefano
Puskas
Pele
Cruyff
Beckenbauer

Make Ronaldo, Sanchez and Messi etc look like donkeys

 

Spun Cuppa

Thanks Greens :(

Jul 2, 2009

5,352

'We're on the road to nowhere...'

• Jul 7, 2014

• #16

My bad

The tricky winger was Gento, of course

Am just watching it, as there is no footy on

 

BN9 BHA

DOCKERS

NSC Patron

Jul 14, 2013

21,529

Newhaven

• Jul 7, 2014

• #17

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

Doctor Worm

Feb 24, 2009

12,326

Sleeping on the roof

• Jul 7, 2014

• #18

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

Registered User

Apr 23, 2012

4,279

• Jul 7, 2014

• #19

Cheshire Cat said:

One of the top five players ever...

Di Stefano
Puskas
Pele
Cruyff
Beckenbauer

Make Ronaldo, Sanchez and Messi etc look like donkeys

Click to expand...

The lack of Zidane makes me sad.

 

e77

Well-known member

May 23, 2004

7,268

Worthing

• Jul 7, 2014

• #20

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