Alfredo Di Stéfano career match reports

Along the same lines as the Johan Cruyff thread, I've decided to create a similar one dedicated to the "Saeta Rubia" or "Blonde Arrow", the man that some consider to be the greatest footballer the world has ever seen. "El Aleman" or "the German", as he used to be called, is regarded by many old-timers in Argentina as one of the top 5 greatest players the country ever produced.

I have decided to tackle this long term career project utilizing the archives from Argentina and Spain. However, at the moment it will contain gaps due to the inability to access the Colombian archives from when he played at Millonarios. Also, since I don't have the Argentine archives with me at the moment (I have them stored away abroad), I'll start off from the moment he arrived in Europe and leave open the option of adding the South American chapter to his career in the future.

Please note, that the Spanish archives of the 1950s and '60s vary in condition, since the print wasn't always good. I also cannot guarantee that everything exists in the archives, but I will translate informing what is available. I will use the newspapers of ABC from Madrid and Sevilla and the Catalan papers of LaVanguardia and Mundo Deportivo.

Please also note that this will require a long term project that consumes a lot of time, as was the case with the Cruyff thread, and I can't always dedicate my free time to it, so it can go on with many periods where it is inactive. If for whatever reason I disappear and I'm unable to continue, I hope someone will carry on with this project.

I also want to thank PuckVanHeel for giving me the idea once he created his Johan Cruyff thread.

From now on, this will be the definitive thread dedicated to Di Stefano.

 

Thanks to all. If anyone has anything further to share please continue to contribute.

Before I get into the match reports I want to share with you a magazine edition of April 1963 of El Grafico, which was dedicated to Alfredo. He was at the twilight of his career where he could see the light to the end of the tunnel. The magazine looks back to his beginnings and his progress throughout the years. It also contains interviews with himself, reporters and some of his former teammates and managers, which analyzed his game, broke down his strengths, his weaknesses, his personality, the evolution to his game throughout the course of the years and, ultimately his legacy.


[Front cover shows him with his son]



[It basically states that it isn't normal to put on hold other articles dedicated to other sports to talk about one player. But in this case it is justified. It also states that (we) the Argentines tend to not recognize what our players accomplish abroad. This is the time to speak about Alfredo because he may be nearing the end to his career.]


[Top photo is the first photo taken of him with an official side. It was part of the 3rd division team of River Plate in 1944 vs Racing. He was 18 years old. He is the fella standing all the way in the back.

The middle photo is in 1946 in preparation for the preseason friendlies to the beginning of the upcoming season. On his sides is Munoz and Labruna at River Plate. He came on as a substitute for Pedernera in a match vs San Lorenzo and he scored a goal. But he wouldn't be staying for long because there were lots of players. He would move on loan to the team of Huracan, but after playing one season, and with River Plate asking for the price tag of 80.000 pesos, Huracan said no, claiming that it was too much. So back to River Plate he went.

Bottom photo shows him in his second to last game at Huracan in 1946. He was 20 years old].

To be continued...

 

"He is already the Blonde Arrow"

[Above photo at River Plate demonstrates his method to surprise the defence with his lightening speed. That's why he was baptized as the "blonde arrow" in Argentina. The big fella trailing behind for River Plate was another great, Jose Manuel Moreno.

Photo on the bottom left represents the great Argentine side that conquered the Copa America in Guayaquil in 1947. Di Stefano alternated as a sub and starter with Rene Pontoni. He is accompanied by Boye, Mendez, Loustau and Moreno.

The right side photo is at River Plate when the team was going to play a charity match vs Torino].




"The idol is born"

[Bottom left photo illustrates him scoring his last goal for River Plate against San Lorenzo. 48 hours later he would move to Millonarios of Colombia.

Middle photo is him en route to Colombia, accompanied by Pedernera and Nestor Rossi. It is 1949. Di Stefano is around 23 years old.

Right photo is his arrival to Spain on 22 May 1953. At first it seems he is destined to play for Barcelona but after numerous negotiations, he ends up at Real Madrid. He is 27 years old.]

To be continued...

 

Thanks. Yes, Di Stefano was known to have a bad temper and to be impatient. He used to get frustrated if his teammates were not performing to the tasks as he expected. Some viewed this aspect to be a flaw in his game.

 

Above photo is at Real Madrid.

At the bottom is what some of his teammates said about him.

(Jose Emilio Santamaria, Real Madrid defender): "He has signified and signifies a lot for Madrid. A complete player. They allege that he is very fussy, that he is "cranky"... And that he yells a lot on the field. Of course he yells! And sometimes protests. But if everyone knew how he is... He comes out to win like no one. He puts his soul into the game. But above all he likes to win, even if it is at pellets..."

(Ferenk Puskas, Real Madrid forward): "He reminds me of another great player... And how well that other lad played! I'm referring to Hidegkuti, whom also played with me. He was more technical and perhaps more cerebral than Alfredo. He used to perform the same tasks. Reception, order, distribution... But he didn't get forward as much as Di Stefano. More refined, but without being capable of completing all of what Alfredo is capable in doing, which is stronger. He didn't reach goal as Di Stefano could and knew how to do."

(Miguel Munoz, manager of Real Madrid): "With him playing we have the certainty that we have two players in each position. In him unites an accumulation of virtues which make him exceptional. Unfortunately, figures such as Di Stefano arise late in football."

To be continued...

 

I will translate the most interesting aspects of an interview with Di Stefano in April 1963.

"I was born in Barracas... (this is the area of La Boca in Buenos Aires) afterwards I lived in Flores" (another part in Buenos Aires).

He is asked how is it that he can sustain playing at the first level for so many years and playing with deep intensity...

"Training is very important, but more so is my natural condition. This is fundamental... (he signals to his chest with his hand). For a footballer the legs is not everything. You have to have this well. Fortunately I can't complain. It is natural in me."

Why did you change your game?

"I started to realize that this is a game of 11 players. Everyone must work for everyone. It is a basic principle."

"You have to have capacity... I run from one end to another on the pitch. I order and work at the back... But I'm also close to the goal. I've been top scorer many seasons. This season I played less games but still scored 12 goals..."

"Samitier is a great man. We have a mutual respect. I have a great affection for him."

He told us he brought you here (Spain).

"Yes, don't tell me. When I remember those days... I was playing in Colombia. Over there everything resulted easy. We had a great team, superior to the rest. We used to win as we wanted. Slowly I started to realize that it had to end. Difficulties started to surmount with FIFA. I was thinking in returning to Buenos Aires. I made the trip and while I was there, Samitier wrote me. He wanted to bring me to Spain. I had my doubts. But he didn't. I was always accompanied by wealthy men: they wouldn't separate themselves from me. One day two gentlemen brought me tickets, associated with Barcelona. They insisted with the unimaginable and I finally arrived in Spain. And I stayed a few days!...A conflict between Barcelona and Real Madrid rose... And I did not know where I was going to play or live...I was raging to play football! Finally everything was resolved and I came to play for Madrid."

With success?

"No, not the first few games. I was out of shape, with a few extra kilos. But look at things. Around that time we had to face Barcelona, where things turned out well and I played extraordinary...Something similar occurred this year. I was recovering from an injury and we went to Barcelona. We won by a landslide... and I played well. I have lots of luck."

Until when will you play?

"I could play much more. I'm in perfect state. Inclusively I have no problem with the club. Don Santiago says I can play as long as I want."

What is your opinion of other great players, for example, Pele, Sivori, and Didi?

"I haven't seen Pele much, but I've been able to appreciate in him great virtues. He handles very well the ball, both legs, he's intelligent and smart, runs the pitch well... (after a pause he thinks)...But one would have to see him play in Europe."

"Sivori is very good. A genius. But he hasn't been able to detach himself from the spell of playing for himself. That's the way he feels."

"Didi failed at Madrid"

"No one can deny his great class. Great control of the ball, with an extraordinary touch. But over here one has to run a lot, play for others; in one word: work. Work a lot. He did not hit his mission. You can't just wait for the ball. You have to go and get it..."

He goes on to speak about some injuries he has suffered lately and how he still fears to fly, etc.

For the rest of the interview please Google translate if you can't read Spanish.

Below is the 4 articles.







Later on I'll get into more interviews of what managers, reporters, and teammates said about him.

 

Why did Alfredo Di Stefano become what he is ?

The names above respond to that question.


5 questions about him.

1. Is he a skilled player?
2. Is he intelligent?
3. What has been his greatest virtue?
4. What has been his greatest deficiency?
5. What was the secret to his success?

"'My son will be the greatest player in the world... he will revolutionize the game'", said Alfredo's father. This was said in 1947, when Di Stefano operating as a center-forward for River Plate, was the revelation of the Argentinean tournament at the age of 21. He would end up being the top scorer of the season with 27 goals.

Ten years later in 1957, a famous European manager was asked, what was in his view the greatest tactic, and he responded: "To have Di Stefano on my team".

"At that stage, for many Di Stefano was the greatest player in the world. His game had produced an authentic revolution. He had broken with the static positioning. He had created a new dynamic."

A magazine from Italy, once said after a Spain-Italy game, that he was "omnipresent", for his incredible capacity to be in many places on the field almost simultaneously. That night he had defended in his own box covering his goalkeeper and 15 seconds later he was at the other end scoring a goal for his team.

So how did he become what he was?

To understand, 5 questions have been asked, from managers, players, and journalists, that knew him well, and which will help explain to us this "phenomenon of Di Stefano".

Before those questions are answered, we first have the opinion of Juan Carlos Lorenzo, manager of the Argentinian NT of WC62. He was with Di Stefano in Spain, and followed his career.

"He is the most sensational player I've seen. One time I found him on the beach during the recess of season and we spoke of football. I was impressed when he said: "look; for the upcoming tournament I'm looking for a new play of a "one-two". I run to the left, I leave the ball with Pancho (Ferenc Puskas) and I continue without the ball, as if I'm going to receive it. But the pass is not for me. At the same time the kid (Rial) has to run to his right and the pass of Puskas will leave him alone. He will get tired of scoring goals..." That one-two play, gave victory to Madrid in the following season.

"The "German" doesn't get bothered if he is pressured by the defence. When a defender is assigned to mark him at his back, he looks for another player in order to have two adversaries shutdown. In these games one views him running and screaming like a madman: "I don't play!" He is alerting his teammates that someone is open and should go in for the attack, meanwhile he pins down two opponents... He is a genius of a player!"

Di Stefano was with Lorenzo during the 1962 WC as an adviser.

To be continued...

 

We will start off with the opinion of the first two.


Nestor Rossi
[Former teammate of Di Stefano in the lower divisions of River Plate, in the first team of River Plate and at Millonarios of Colombia. As a footballer, he was one of those that spent the most time with the "blonde arrow" in his South American chapter to his career.]

1. Is he a skilled player?
"He is skilled. He knew how to control the ball, deliver it, and shoot. In the beginning only with his right foot. Afterwards he learned to shoot with his left. In the last days in Colombia he would use both feet. He was never a virtuoso, as could be Moreno, or Pedernera, or Baez. He used very little his head to none at all. I speak of the Di Stefano that I knew, from 1944 to 1953. Once he went to Spain I never saw him again.

2. Is he intelligent?
I’m still speaking of the player that I knew: intelligent in order to exploit his velocity, his sense of goal. But not as a creator of play, not as an organizer that could carry a team. It’s possible that later on he became a player that studied games before hand and during and after 90 minutes. In Colombia he still was not in that conversation. But this: he always tried to learn and get better. He kept progressing from year to year. In that aspect one can consider him intelligent.

3. What has been his greatest virtue?
His greatest virtue was his great physical state of condition in every game. From the beginning he was an athlete, for his velocity, his agility and his resistance.

4. What has been his greatest deficiency?
In the beginning he used to lower his head and his game lacked variety. He used to release himself going the same direction, to his right, and he played only to one single profile. He used very little his left foot, elevated poorly to use his head to none at all. He was a player for the goal, but little for the team. As the years went by he started to improve and polish his game. I think in Europe he must have completed his evolution, and if he still had a weakness, his experience permitted him to conceal it.

5. What was the secret to his success?
His great love for himself. He was lucky, because he had the chance to play alongside great insiders and he was able to learn a lot from them. Besides, he went to Europe in the most favorable moment. But luck alone, without the condition and morale in the player won’t be enough. He always had lots of spirit and never backed down when it required to work. Over in Colombia we had to make sacrifices. Not everything was to just cash in dollars. We didn’t have a physical trainer and we had to do everything on our own. In the training sessions Di Stefano was always the first to arrive and the last to leave. We were impressed seeing him work. Besides, what a physical state! He was a deer… Luck was on his side too because he did not suffer any serious injuries. But his condition and his self-love was fundamental for his success in football.”

_______________________________________________________________________________
Jose Maria Minella
[He was manager of the 1947 River Plate side, which saw Di Stefano stamp his mark in Argentinean football at the age of 21.]

1. Is he a skilled player?
"In material of skills, I always considered him to be brilliant. He knew how to handle the ball on par with any virtuoso, and what's most important, at the highest speed and in the most practical sense. He never exceeded in his demonstration of skill. Perhaps for that reason one did not see him to be as skilled as he really was. He did what was just right. Not a step more, not a dribble extra, nor a luxury to spare. And he did it at a rhythm that, if he wasn't really skilled, it would have cut precision away from his game. It's known that it's easier to control the ball at a slower pace than at high velocity. Di Stefano would do it at 80 kilometers per hour...

2. Is he intelligent?
The same: brilliant intelligence. In the previous answer it's already explained. With his velocity, he could have "eaten" the ball more than once, but he always preferred the useful play, inside the best sobriety. He looked invariably for the effectiveness more so than to his own personal show off. And that's a symptom of great intelligence in football.

3. What has been his greatest virtue?
His greatest virtue? Di Stefano was all virtue. He was and is. Years ago I defined him by saying he could be a pawn or foreman, an artist or worker. All is said. When he was taken to Spain and at first to Barcelona, I told the chairman, even though later he would be transferred to Madrid, that they were receiving the best centre-forward in the world. Later on the European press unanimously came to that conclusion.

4. What has been his greatest deficiency?
Deficiencies? Those attributable to his youth and inexperience in the early phases in his performance in the upper levels of football. Excess of vigor, that sometimes resulted in him getting carried away. He was very impulsive which made him lose many goals. But chances which he had created. For that motive he wasted plays, but he produced so much that the balance was compensated favorably in his side by a large margin. Once he acquired experience it was all virtue with him.

5. What was the secret to his success?
A professional 100% in his application to football. Since he was a kid. He always worked with fervor. He always wanted to learn something new. Like few he knew how to combine his skill with his intelligence. He comprehended before others the necessity to give greater dynamism with velocity to football. He had the class to attempt a conservative game, with pause, static, of minimum wear, but he preferred the other path: to use his skill in movement, with a simple game which was rapid, providing generously his services to his team for 90 minutes per game."

To be continued...

 

Enzo Ardigo
[Journalist that witnessed Di Stefano from the beginning of his career and throughout his triumphs in Europe].

1. Is he a skilled player?
"Of great skill. I’ve seen him do things that I haven’t seen from anyone else. And I’ve seen him apply that skill to schemes that have been pre-studied in a sensational way. For example: the goal that he scored against River Plate in 1946 when he was with Huracan, after only a few seconds after kickoff, was learned precisely when he was at River Plate. He always gave me the impression of being very skillful. In the same line of plastic and agility as was Arsenio Erico.

2. Is he intelligent?
A player capable of using his skill to his and the team’s advantage, as Di Stefano has done, has to have necessarily a great cerebral aptitude.

3. What has been his greatest virtue?
He has a lot of virtues. The greatest of them all is his sense of positioning on the field. To have comprehended that whoever has the ball needs to have someone close by to provide a give and go. I’ve seen him play in Spain some games where he was enormous. Accompanying in all plays. Over there the game is played differently depending on if the team is at home or on the road. In the Madrid stadium I’ve seen him play an offensive game which was demolishing. And 7 days later, as visitor, perform a formidable defensive display. What I’m saying is that we are in presence of a functional player, in condition of being the base of the team under any scheme. I think that no one, including Puecelle or Pedernera, could have foreseen the evolution that was going to occur in Alfredo which would catapult him to the genius that the entire world would applaud. Neither Huracan when they let him go for some thousands of pesos. Neither River Plate, when for those thousands of pesos they were willing to let him go to Huracan. Not even the Spanish, once Di Stefano arrived at Madrid. His beginning was tough. He was very highly publicized and something different was expected from him. It was difficult for him to play and to make others play to his tune, apparently simple but tremendously effective. But he achieved it. They accepted him and elevated him to heights that few others have ever reached. I remember watching him grow as a player in a tourney played in Montevideo in the summer of 1946. He was starting at River Plate as a centre-forward. After 20 minutes he was operating as wing-forward. For the second half, he was off…Every night the same story. No, no one would have sensed it. Not even him perhaps…

4. What has been his greatest deficiency?
He may have had weaknesses in his beginnings. The same may have occurred with Norberto Menendez. The stubbornness to repeat the same play on afternoons when things weren’t going his way. I can’t recall another. If he has them or had them I couldn’t tell. It is that the sum of all his virtues destroy any defects.

5. What was the secret to his success?
His discipline and his modesty. I was able to watch him in Madrid, after one of his great games against Barcelona, go to a nightclub with his wife. He drank a few glasses and retired at a prudent hour. Without subjecting himself to any other obligation which wasn’t in line with his sense of duty to his job. He lives a disciplined life. For his profession. And being the star to his team in Real, he doesn’t feel he is above the rest. At least he doesn’t show it. In the dressing rooms, he is a calm and quiet person. On the field he imposes his ascending game, by the capacity of his gravitation. That monument with a ball that is inscribed at his home in his garden where it says “Thanks, old one” is the proof to his modesty. For me there is no vulgarity in that original manner which Di Stefano has thanked the ball that has brought him the opportunity to ascend in life and to carry out his destiny as a winner. He understands all that he should. Of course one has to know how to use that ball… I believe, as with Ortega and Gasset, that one cannot isolate the man from the circumstances. The circumstances presented themselves in which Di Stefano had opportunities that were negated to others. Inclusively in his arrival to Real Madrid there was a circumstance which was favorable, almost decisive I would say. He traveled to Spain to play for Barcelona. Over there they didn’t sense him. Enrique Fernandez did, and took him to Madrid, a club which was an economical force that could offer him what Barcelona perhaps may have not. The fact of the matter is Di Stefano was able to take advantage of the circumstances. Don Pedro Escartin told me once that Alfredo had dark afternoons in Madrid. Not everything was the color of roses. But in those dark afternoons, after leaving the pitch, the conviction was that no one had worked as much, with as much boldness, with as much generosity and so much passion as him…"

[Bottom photo illustrates him playing for Huracan in 1946 against the team that had just loaned him: River Plate].

To be continued...

 

His father may have made the observation and encouraged him to improve with his weaker foot, but it took time for Alfredo to improve this aspect in his game.

Reading the upcoming interviews from Pedernera and Carlos Puecelle, it is clear that they also reach the same conclusion as Nestor Rossi. It seems the evolution to his game begins in Colombia and culminates in Spain.