Will Cristiano Ronaldo Be Real Madrid's New Di Stefano?

If there had been a world player of the year in those days Alfredo Di Stefano would have won it at least five times.

We know Cristiano Ronaldo's worth which is 80 Million Dollars and 120,000 pounds a week but what is Stefano's worth? The answer perhaps should be "priceless" because of what he did at Real Madrid was beyond any comparison.

If I had to rate Di Stefano he would come second only to Pele—who began playing for Santos in 1956, the glorious period of Stefano's career. Culminating—though he played on afterwards—in his glorious display for Real in Glasgow when in the final of the 1960 European Cup, he and that superb Hungarian left-footer, Ferenc Puskas, tore holes in the defence of Eintracht Frankfurt who were thrashed 7-3.

Di Stefano himself, perpetual motion as always, getting three of the goals, while Puskas scored all the rest.

When Cristiano Ronaldo arrived at the Bernabeu it was still puzzling who Real managed that much of money with their debt let alone Kaka's big transfer only a few days back on the recent past.

Di Stefano was initially developed at River Plate, one of the very best teams during those times. How Di Stefano came and stayed at Real was a strange story.

In the early 1950s the Colombian Federation, after a squabble, withdrew from FIFA which meant they could sign whom they liked—free of charge—and pay them what they liked.

Adolfo Pedernera, then a huge star centre-forward, responded to the siren call and joined the Millonarios club. Di Stefano followed him. But when Colombia returned to FIFA, Di Stefano left, but not to return to River Plate and Buenos Aires. So 1953 saw him arrive in Spain. But exactly where?

Both Barcelona and Real Madrid were isnterested in signing him. each insisted they’d done a deal with River Plate and each flourished documentation to prove it. Whom to believe? The Spanish Federation dodged the column, with what you might call a judgement of Solomon.

Both clubs should have him, they somewhat fatuously decreed, but only in alternate seasons. Real got first pick and Barca, surely to their eternal regret, decided when it came to their turn that they would not go ahead.

So Di Stefano, inspirational, indefatigable, domineering—there was never any room for anyone else on the podium, even if it should be such a star as Brazil’s Didi—stayed at Real Madrid.

When UEFA launched the European Cup in 1955/6, Di Stefano had much to do with it. Due to him Real won the tournament no lesser than five times. Real Madrid were invincible!

Thanks to Di Stefano, to whom even the commanding and sometimes intransigent Puskas deferred, established themselves as one of the greatest clubs, not just in Europe, but in the world.

Di Stefano would have won the World's player of the year Time and again. but Ronaldo? He was a integral part in Manchester United's play but never made that kind of impact which Di Stefano managed.

For instance in the last Champions league finals, for Manchester United against Barcelona, was curiously subdued but his talents—the amazing sprint, the curious eye for goals, his power, marvellous headers, glorious long range free-kicks which even the great Stefano could not develop to the utmost.

Regarding his media speculations and glitz, Di Stefano hardly had them. Ronaldo is like his United predecessor Greoge Best in that one.

Though Ronaldo wont drink like Best to death. Since his transfer there had been much speculation in both English and Spain's press but nothing can deny that he is the best of the pack now as was Alfredo di Stefano.