MADRID, Spain -- Alfredo Di Stefano, the player Real Madrid has hailed as the most important component in its mid-20th century ascent to becoming a global football powerhouse, has died. Cheap Nike Free . He was 88. Real Madrid said in a statement that Di Stefano, its honorary president, died on Monday afternoon at Gregorio Maranon hospital, two days after a heart attack. Di Stefano turned 88 on Friday. The following day, he had a heart attack on a street near Madrids Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Paramedics were able to resuscitate him after 18 minutes, but he spent the following days in a coma. Renowned for his speed, versatility and strategic grasp of the game, he helped Madrid attain five straight European Champions Cups and was voted European player of the year in 1957 and 59. In a career spanning five clubs in three countries -- Argentina, Colombia and Spain -- from 1945-1966, Di Stefano scored 789 goals in 1,090 matches. In the process he claimed top-scorer status once in the Argentine league, twice in Colombias league and five times in Spain. Only Raul Gonzalez has scored more goals for Real Madrid than Di Stefano, who is often recognized as the clubs first "galactico." However, as FIFA acknowledges on its official website, "statistics will show that Alfredo Di Stefano is one of the worlds greatest ever goal scorers, but the bare facts only tell part of the story." FIFA president Sepp Blatter said Di Stefano "was my favourite player." French great Michel Platini, now president of the footballs European governing body, said Di Stefano was "superb technically, possessed outstanding speed, and was a splendid goal scorer." "Together with his gifted teammates, he helped invent modern football." Those who Di Stefano recall a straight-talking character who believed success on the field came through physical effort and dedication. "I dont want to be idolized, I just want to play. And to do that you have to run and sweat," he said. His modesty in the face of overwhelming sporting success won him the admiration of many. "I think he was one of the greatest, if not the greatest, football player ever," England great Bobby Charlton said. Born July 4, 1926, in the Barracas suburb of Buenos Aires, near the port where British sailors introduced football to Argentina, Di Stefano learned the game in what he called "the academy of the streets." "In our neighbourhood we used to hold major football sessions that went on until it got dark, with everyone playing against each other," he said. "Pope Francis and I went to the same school," Di Stefano said when Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pontiff, adding the two likely played together as children. Di Stefanos father, Alfredo, the son of an immigrant from the Italian island of Capri, was a loyal fan of River Plate. De Stefanos mother, Eulalia Laulhe Gilmont, was of French and Irish ancestry. Having trialed successfully for River Plate, he turned professional in 1945, joining Colombias Millonarios six years later. He won six league titles for the two clubs. His turn of speed soon had fans chanting, "Help, here comes the jet-propelled blonde arrow," ("Saeta Rubia," in Spanish) a nickname Di Stefano retained all his life. He played in Spain for the first time in 1952 and dazzled the crowd at a tournament commemorating Real Madrids 50th anniversary, a fateful encounter. Barcelona signed Di Stefano in 1953 after agreeing a transfer with River Plate, but the move was thrown into doubt when Madrid also negotiated his transfer -- with Millonarios. Although the Spanish federation authorized Di Stefano to play half of his four-year contract with each club, Barcelona opted out, alleging pressure from the Madrid-based ruling military dictatorship of Gen. Francisco Franco. In his first season Di Stefano helped Madrid win its second league title, ending a 21-year drought. Within three years, he helped Madrid lift the inaugural European Cup by scoring in a 4-3 win over Frances Stade Reims. The arrival at Madrid of Hungarian great Ferenc Puskas in 1958 led to an attacking partnership of dynamic effectiveness which allowed the club to retain the European title through to 1960, a record yet to be beaten. Di Stefanos last final in 1960 saw possibly his finest match. Before 127,000 spectators, he scored three times in Madrids 7-3 demolition of Eintracht Frankfurt. The same year, he helped Madrid win the inaugural Intercontinental Cup between European and South American champions with a 5-1 aggregate victory over Uruguays Penarol. He topped the Spanish leagues scoring standings in five of his 11 seasons with Madrid. He scored 49 times in 58 European matches, a record in the competition that stood for more than four decades. Di Stefano left Madrid in 1964 to join Barcelona-based Espanyol for a two-year spell before retiring at age 40. "Football brought me so many beautiful moments. It built my life," said Di Stefano, who also played for Argentina and Spain. But World Cup glory eluded him. Argentina didnt play in 1950 and 54, while Spain didnt qualify in 1958. Di Stefano carried an injury to Chile in 1962 and did not play. So, his only international success was a 1947 Copa America victory with Argentina. In 1963, Di Stefano was held captive by a guerrilla group during Madrids tour of Venezuela. He was taken at gunpoint from his hotel room by the publicity-seeking National Liberation Army Front and released unhurt two days later. As a coach, he led Boca Juniors and River Plate to Argentine league titles, and won the European Cup Winners Cup, the Spanish league title and the Copa del Rey with Valencia. He also managed Madrid between 1982 and 1984. Madrid appointed Di Stefano honorary president in 2000 and erected a statue in his honour in 2008. A diabetic, Di Stefano fought ill-health in old age and underwent a quadruple bypass with a pacemaker implanted in December 2005 after a heart attack. In May 2013 his children asked a court to rule him mentally incapable after he announced plans to marry a woman 50 years his junior. "I dont care that my children are against it," Di Stefano, then 86, said of his plans to marry 36-year-old Gina Gonzalez. His interest in football never diminished. At 86 he still maintained a regular column in Spanish sports newspaper Marca. In it, he revealed that he had missed Pope Francis appointment. "I must confess that while everyone else watched the white smoke live," he wrote. "I was, as always, watching a football game." Nike Free Clearance Sale .J. -- Tom Coughlin doesnt have many options at halfback for the winless New York Giants. Discount Nike Free .The team had a meeting prior to facing Russia at the world junior hockey championship and got the effort theyve been looking for by defeating the Russians 4-1 to advance to the quarter-finals. http://www.cheapnikefree.net/ . Jamies number grades given are out of five, with five being the best mark. Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings (3) - Early goal against was on the power play.Former Scotland boss Walter Smith says Gordon Strachan should remain in charge of the national side despite recent poor results. Strachan has come under pressure after guiding Scotland to just one win - a 5-1 victory in Malta - from the opening four qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup.Last weeks 3-0 defeat by England at Wembley left the Scots with slim hopes of reaching the finals in Russia, but Smith is convinced the former Celtic boss is still the best man for the job. Action from Scotlands 3-0 defeat to England at Wembley Speaking exclusively to Sky Sports News HQ, Smith, who was in charge of Scotland between 2004-2007, said: Personally, I think he should stay on.I thought the team had some excellent performances in the last campaign. We havent matched them this campaign but Gordon knows all the players. Former Scotland manager Smith wants Strachan to continue as the national team manager, despite a string of poor results He has a problem that quite a lot of them are not playing for the clubs at the moment, but hell know them better than anyone and I think going into the last half of the section we will be looking for a reaction and I think Gordon can bring that.Smith, who revived Scotlands fortunes after replacing Berti Vogts towards the end of 2004, admits the demands of the job at national level are on a par with club level. Strachan has come under fire since last weeks defeat to England Managing clubs is intense enough but managing the national team you have shortened periods of intensity and that makes it a little bit more difficult, added the 68-year-old.But it is also like club football in that you have to win or you come under a little bit of pressure. Cheap Nike Free China. Gordon is coming under that at the moment but I still think he is the best man for the job.Ally McCoist, assistant manager to Smith at Scotland and Rangers, believes a radical overhaul of the game north of the border will be required before any progress is noted. Ally McCoist (left) calls for radical shake-up of game in Scotland I dont think anyone can hide from the fact that we are not producing anything like the level of the youngster that we once did, he said.But we havent qualified for 18 years so this is a problem that has not come overnight. Theres a number of reasons for that. If I had the absolute answer I would be telling you it, but its a combination of things.It comes down to clubs, the SFA, the youngsters themselves, parents, boys clubs, coaches, and we definitely need a revamp of the whole situation. Theres a million things. Fergie and Walter the men to rekindle Scotlands fortunes, according to Ally McCoist My boys for example cannot play two games at the weekend. They cant play with their school and their boys club. What is that all about? Can someone tell me what thats all about?When we were young we played Saturday morning with the school, Saturday afternoon with the BBs [Boys Brigade], and Sunday with the boys club. And then during the week we were playing and training all the time. It seems to me there are people putting obstacles up rather than trying to help.There has to be change and theres a lot of people culpable, but I do believe everyone has the best interests of our country at heart in terms of producing youngsters again. Six months half price Upgrade to Sky Sports to watch Man Utd v Arsenal on Saturday and get the first six months half price We have to sit round a table and get those in the know, and by that I mean people like Alex Ferguson and Walter Smith, and come up with a plan.McCoist and Smith were speaking at the opening a new £1.5m clubhouse at Torrance Park Golf Club in Motherwell. Also See: Nicholas: Scots not good enough Griffiths: Dont sack Strachan ONeill: Scots not on my agenda Table ' ' '