Alfredo Di Stéfano, who has died aged 88, was the inspirational leader of the Real Madrid team of the 1950s, one of the best, and certainly one of the most successful, club sides of all time. It won five European Cups in a row, starting with the inaugural tournament in 1956. He was a centre-forward of versatility and authority: his greatness lay not only in his prolific goalscoring, but in his ability to influence play in all areas of the pitch in an era when players stuck to their positions and were relatively static. His stamina was legendary and even in his veteran years he could bring off a sliding tackle in his own penalty area, then in the next minute pop up at the other end for a shot at goal. This individual brilliance, combined with an imperious air, enabled him to orchestrate a team to play to his command.
The young Bobby Charlton watched Di Stéfano from the stands as a Manchester United reserve at Real's Bernabéu stadium in 1957, and later wrote that his first impression was: "Who is this man? He takes the ball from the goalkeeper, he tells the full-backs what to do; wherever he is on the field he is in position to take the ball, you can see his influence on everything that is happening I had never seen such a complete footballer It was as though he had set up his own command centre at the heart of the game. He was as strong as he was subtle. You just could not keep your eyes off him." Di Stéfano was not as naturally gifted as Pelé or Diego Maradona, but Charlton is one of many former players and managers who regarded him as the best all-round footballer in the history of the game.
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