Soccer Legend #5: Alfredo Di Stefano

Arguably the most complete footballer of all time. Physically powerful, with unparalleled stamina, amazing skills and unwavering determination to win. He was capped by three countries, but ironically failed to take part in a World Cup! His other achievements were sensational enough to warrant him a place among the top players in the history.

After making a name for himself as a all-round attacker in Argentina, he went on to play in the then "outlawed" Colombian league with Millonarios from Bogota, where his goal average was almost 1 per game. He was approaching what was then considered veteran age when signed by Real Madrid. Actually, Barcelona reached an agreement with River Plate, the club that had the rights to Di Stefano, but Madrid negotiated directly with Millonarios. The Spanish FA decided solomonically to allow both teams to use the Argentinean magician on every-other-season basis. Barca pulled out, and Di Stefano debuted for Real precisely against the Catalan arch rivals. The score? Real, 5 - Barca, 0.

It was the balding Argentinean who turned Real Madrid from Spanish also-rans into the biggest club on the planet. He lead them to five consecutive European Champions' Cups, scoring in each and every final! His most famous display was perhaps the one against Eintracht Frankfurt in Glasgow, when he netted three times (Puskas went one better) in a 7-3 win for the Spaniards.

After missing out on his last chance to present his skills in a World Cup through injury, he transferred to Espanol from Barcelona where he retired at 40. Later he went on to coach various teams with varying degree of success. Under his guidance Valencia won the Spanish Cup in 1979, but Real Madrid achieved FIVE second places in 1983, squandering the League title on the last day after succumbing by 0-1 in Valencia of all places, and losing in four different cup-finals. So unlike the Real during Di Stefano's era!