Real mark 50th anniversary of Di Stefano's debut
Real Madrid will mark the 50th anniversary of Alfredo di Stefano's debut with a match against River Plate at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium on Tuesday.
Real Madrid will mark the 50th anniversary of Alfredo di Stefano's debut with a match against River Plate at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium on Tuesday.
Di Stefano, born in Buenos Aires in 1926, played for River Plate, Huracan and Millonarios before joining Real in 1953 following a lengthy transfer battle with Barcelona.
The great Argentine forward went on to transform Real Madrid's fortunes, helping them to successive European Cup wins in the first five editions of the tournament from 1956 to 1960 and scoring in each of the finals.
He also won eight league titles with the club and was named European Footballer of the Year in 1957 and 1959.
He became Real Madrid's honorary president in 2000 following the arrival of Florentino Perez as president and he will receive further tribute in what will be the 25th edition of the Bernabeu Trophy match.
Di Stefano visited Real's training ground on Monday to watch River's practice session on the eve of the game and he will be the guest of honour at the match itself.