Those who were privileged enough to see him play say that Di Stefano could be seen covering in defence, charging forward through the midfield, laying on goals for the forwards and smashing shots into the net all in the same game.
The fact that Real Madrid are one of the leading clubs in world football is due almost exclusively to Di Stefano.
He transformed the Spanish side from an insignificant bunch of underachievers into the kings of the continent when he guided them to victory in five successive European Cups between 1956 and 1960, scoring in each of the finals.
"La Saeta Rubia" (the blond arrow), as he was known, was the progenitor of "total football" and years ahead of his time in terms of his approach to his professional career. In modern parlance he was the first "Galactico".
Also see: The Munich Disaster
Image: Potrait of Di Stefano taken in Paris on June 12, 1956.
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