Yesterday evening, one of the greatest players to ever touch a football, Alfredo Di Stéfano, passed away. A mythic figure and a legend of the game in Spain, where he spent the majority of his career, the press have paid their tributes today on the front pages.
As an honorary president of Real Madrid, it's unsurprising that Marca have put some thought and passion into their beautiful tribute to Di Stéfano today with a simple and touching tribute of his iconic no. 9 shirt, waving to the crowd. They also have a 40 page special on La Saeta Rubia, as he was known, in today's edition.
AS, another Madrid-based paper, also lead with an iconic picture of the Argentine, with the headline 'From Madrid to the heavens', a reference both to his incredible achievements on the pitch, and to mark the occasion of his passing.
El Mundo Deportivo, a Barcelona sports daily, also lead with the passing, as the figure of Di Stéfano and the appreciation of his abilities crossed the usual divide of rivalry. They lead with the headline 'Goodbye to a legend'
El Pais, one of the country's leading broadsheet papers, also pays their respects with a fantastic collection of his life in pictures, showcasing the amazing career that he had, which included five European Cup wins, a number of Spanish league titles, a Copa America with Argentina, and countless other accolades and titles.
He was also lauded around the world, as in his native Argentina, sporting papers such as Olé featured him as their front page story with the headline 'A kickabout with God', while Sir Alex Ferguson spoke to Sky Sports about the type of player that he was.
He is a loss to the game, and as an ambassador both for Real Madrid and the sport in general, there was no better figure; Di Stéfano was a man who carried himself with dignity, respect and grace both on and off the pitch. Descanse en paz, Don Alfredo.
