Real Madrid great Alfredo di Stefano is in hospital after suffering a heart attack, the Spanish first division club said on Saturday.
Di Stefano suffered the heart attack in the early hours of Saturday morning before being moved to a hospital at Sagunto near Valencia.
The Argentine-born Di Stefano is conscious and his condition has been described as ”stable”, according to latest reports from the hospital where he is in intensive care.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, vice-president Emilio Butragueno and another top club official arrived at the Sagunto hospital in the early afternoon, according to Agence France-Presse reporters.
The 79-year-old Argentine, currently an honorary club president, led the Spanish giants to five consecutive European Cups between 1956 and 1960 and eight Spanish league titles.
Di Stefano was was born on July 4 1926 in Buenos Aires. He began his career at River Plate (Argentina) and Bogota’s Millionarios (Colombia) before going on to become a Real Madrid great between 1953 and 1964.
He was also awarded the European Footballer of the Year (Golden Ball) award twice, in 1957 and 1959. — Sapa-AFP