MADRID, Spain -- Alfredo Di Stefano, the player Real Madrid has hailed as the most important component in its mid-20th century ascent to becoming a global football powerhouse, has died. He was 88. Real Madrid said in a statement that Di Stefano, its honorary president, died on Monday afternoon at Gregorio Maranon hospital, two days after a heart attack. Di Stefano turned 88 on Friday. The following day, he had a heart attack on a street near Madrids Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Paramedics were able to resuscitate him after 18 minutes, but he spent the following days in a coma. Renowned for his speed, versatility and strategic grasp of the game, he helped Madrid attain five straight European Champions Cups and was voted European player of the year in 1957 and 59. In a career spanning five clubs in three countries -- Argentina, Colombia and Spain -- from 1945-1966, Di Stefano scored 789 goals in 1,090 matches. In the process he claimed top-scorer status once in the Argentine league, twice in Colombias league and five times in Spain. Only Raul Gonzalez has scored more goals for Real Madrid than Di Stefano, who is often recognized as the clubs first "galactico." However, as FIFA acknowledges on its official website, "statistics will show that Alfredo Di Stefano is one of the worlds greatest ever goal scorers, but the bare facts only tell part of the story." FIFA president Sepp Blatter said Di Stefano "was my favourite player." French great Michel Platini, now president of the footballs European governing body, said Di Stefano was "superb technically, possessed outstanding speed, and was a splendid goal scorer." "Together with his gifted teammates, he helped invent modern football." Those who Di Stefano recall a straight-talking character who believed success on the field came through physical effort and dedication. "I dont want to be idolized, I just want to play. And to do that you have to run and sweat," he said. His modesty in the face of overwhelming sporting success won him the admiration of many. "I think he was one of the greatest, if not the greatest, football player ever," England great Bobby Charlton said. Born July 4, 1926, in the Barracas suburb of Buenos Aires, near the port where British sailors introduced football to Argentina, Di Stefano learned the game in what he called "the academy of the streets." "In our neighbourhood we used to hold major football sessions that went on until it got dark, with everyone playing against each other," he said. "Pope Francis and I went to the same school," Di Stefano said when Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pontiff, adding the two likely played together as children. Di Stefanos father, Alfredo, the son of an immigrant from the Italian island of Capri, was a loyal fan of River Plate. De Stefanos mother, Eulalia Laulhe Gilmont, was of French and Irish ancestry. Having trialed successfully for River Plate, he turned professional in 1945, joining Colombias Millonarios six years later. He won six league titles for the two clubs. His turn of speed soon had fans chanting, "Help, here comes the jet-propelled blonde arrow," ("Saeta Rubia," in Spanish) a nickname Di Stefano retained all his life. He played in Spain for the first time in 1952 and dazzled the crowd at a tournament commemorating Real Madrids 50th anniversary, a fateful encounter. Barcelona signed Di Stefano in 1953 after agreeing a transfer with River Plate, but the move was thrown into doubt when Madrid also negotiated his transfer -- with Millonarios. Although the Spanish federation authorized Di Stefano to play half of his four-year contract with each club, Barcelona opted out, alleging pressure from the Madrid-based ruling military dictatorship of Gen. Francisco Franco. In his first season Di Stefano helped Madrid win its second league title, ending a 21-year drought. Within three years, he helped Madrid lift the inaugural European Cup by scoring in a 4-3 win over Frances Stade Reims. The arrival at Madrid of Hungarian great Ferenc Puskas in 1958 led to an attacking partnership of dynamic effectiveness which allowed the club to retain the European title through to 1960, a record yet to be beaten. Di Stefanos last final in 1960 saw possibly his finest match. Before 127,000 spectators, he scored three times in Madrids 7-3 demolition of Eintracht Frankfurt. The same year, he helped Madrid win the inaugural Intercontinental Cup between European and South American champions with a 5-1 aggregate victory over Uruguays Penarol. He topped the Spanish leagues scoring standings in five of his 11 seasons with Madrid. He scored 49 times in 58 European matches, a record in the competition that stood for more than four decades. Di Stefano left Madrid in 1964 to join Barcelona-based Espanyol for a two-year spell before retiring at age 40. "Football brought me so many beautiful moments. It built my life," said Di Stefano, who also played for Argentina and Spain. But World Cup glory eluded him. Argentina didnt play in 1950 and 54, while Spain didnt qualify in 1958. Di Stefano carried an injury to Chile in 1962 and did not play. So, his only international success was a 1947 Copa America victory with Argentina. In 1963, Di Stefano was held captive by a guerrilla group during Madrids tour of Venezuela. He was taken at gunpoint from his hotel room by the publicity-seeking National Liberation Army Front and released unhurt two days later. As a coach, he led Boca Juniors and River Plate to Argentine league titles, and won the European Cup Winners Cup, the Spanish league title and the Copa del Rey with Valencia. He also managed Madrid between 1982 and 1984. Madrid appointed Di Stefano honorary president in 2000 and erected a statue in his honour in 2008. A diabetic, Di Stefano fought ill-health in old age and underwent a quadruple bypass with a pacemaker implanted in December 2005 after a heart attack. In May 2013 his children asked a court to rule him mentally incapable after he announced plans to marry a woman 50 years his junior. "I dont care that my children are against it," Di Stefano, then 86, said of his plans to marry 36-year-old Gina Gonzalez. His interest in football never diminished. At 86 he still maintained a regular column in Spanish sports newspaper Marca. In it, he revealed that he had missed Pope Francis appointment. "I must confess that while everyone else watched the white smoke live," he wrote. "I was, as always, watching a football game." China Jerseys Wholesale . "Today was a very great day for me. It was always my dream to be good in GS," Wierather said. "I took quite a long time to get there. It feels awesome to have my first win (in GS)." 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Cunningham had already been charged with felony domestic assault for allegedly choking the woman last week.LONDON -- Two days after Sebastian Vettel won his fourth Formula One title, the spotlight shifted to Londons High Court and the latest case that leaves the motorsports series boss Bernie Ecclestones future in doubt. The longtime commercial head of F1 is already under investigation in Germany over an alleged payment of $44 million relating to the sale of the racing series in 2006. A German court wont say until next year whether the 83-year-old Ecclestone will stand trial on charges of bribery and incitement to breach of trust. German banker Gerhard Gribkowsky has already been jailed for taking the payment from Ecclestone. Gribkowsky was in charge of selling the bank BayernLBs stake in F1 to investment group CVC Capital Partners. Now at the London trial that began on Tuesday, former F1 shareholder, German media company Constantin Medien, is suing Ecclestone and three other defendants for up to $144 million, claiming F1 was undervalued at the time of the sale. Ecclestone -- estimated by Forbes magazine to be worth $3.8 billion -- was not at the High Court but is expected to give evidence next week. Philip Marshall, representing Constantin Medien, accused Ecclestone of making a "corrupt bargain" with Gribkowsky "to facilitate a sale of the Formula One Group by a purchaser chosen by Mr. Ecclestone in return for remuneration (for Gribkowsky) and a position (for Ecclestone) relating to Formula One going forward." To that end, Constantin Medien is claiming it lost out due to the deal negotiated by Gribkowsky. Gribkowsky is a defendant in the case along with Ecclestones lawyer, Stephen Mullens, and the Ecclestone family trust, Bambino Holdings. Ecclestone and Bambino benefited by more than $1 billion from the sale of the 47 per cent stake, according tto Marshall, figures that gave F1 an enterprise value of more than $3 billion in "stark contrast" to the actual value of "just in excess" of $2 billion at the time of the sale.dddddddddddd "We see this transaction as being significantly weighted for the benefit of Mr. Ecclestone and Bambino, and significantly to the detriment of BayernLB," Marshall said. Ecclestone is accused of paying Gribkowsky $44 million from 2006 to 2007. "A variety of means were used to conceal the fact the payments were made," Marshall said. Marshall said the judge would have to decide whether the payments were corrupt and if they resulted in the stake being sold at a "significant undervalue." Robert Miles, the lawyer representing Ecclestone, said Constantin Mediens claim "lacks any merit." "This is an artificial, manufactured, complaint," Miles said, insisting there was "no conspiracy" and Constantin "suffered no loss." Miles said in 2006 it had been arranged that Gribkowsky would be given a "consultancy package" and Ecclestone received "tax threats". Ecclestone built his powerbase in F1 from the 1970s and helped to create the Formula One Constructors Association that controlled the business side of the series, including selling the TV rights. The British-based company later became known as Formula One Management. It has fought regular tussles with the teams over finances, but has retained control of the global motor racing extravaganza. CVC, having amassed a 63 per cent stake of F1, has reduced its holding as other investors have come on board in recent years, although a planned flotation has stalled. Ecclestones holding has been diluted to about 5 per cent. ' ' '

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