. The Black Caps got their World Cup campaign of

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. Ousmane Dembele France Jersey . 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." Zinedine Zidane France Jersey . Jagr had a goal and two assists, Andy Greene scored 43 seconds into overtime and Marek Zidlicky had two goals as the Devils rallied past the Washington Capitals 5-4 Saturday night. Steven Nzonzi France Jersey . Three days after falling to Hamilton, Abbotsford scored three goals in 53 seconds en route to a convincing 5-1 win over the Bulldogs Saturday in American Hockey League play. http://www.soccerfranceproshop.com/c-29-adil-rami-france-jersey.aspx . -- Billy Donovans bench came up big, bailing out top-seeded Florida in a tight game against what was supposed to be an overmatched opponent.New Zealand look the complete one-day outfit under the inspirational leadership of Brendon McCullum, says Mark Butcher. The Black Caps got their World Cup campaign off to an emphatic start with a 98-run victory over Sri Lanka at Christchurchs Hagley Oval on Saturday.McCullum plundered 65 off 49 balls to set the tone for a dominant batting display, putting on 111 with Martin Guptill for the first wicket before Kane Williamson (57) and Corey Anderson (75 off 46 balls) picked up the big-hitting mantle. A half-century from Corey Anderson helped New Zealand to a 98 run win over Sri Lanka in the Cricket World Cup. But it was McCullum who caught the eye of former England opener Butcher, who said: He has such self-belief, such self-confidence. The pitch was meant to be a little bit tacky. There had been some rain around, the weather was bad.He just decided OK, there’s a length that I dont want Sri Lanka to bowl and if they bowl it there, Im running at it and attacking it.Lasith Malinga was a little of colour because he’s been out of the game for a long time but McCullum gives the bowlers nightmares because you know that if you let that ball go and it doesn’t go exactly where you want it to, he’s going to punish you.The way he captains the team is fabulous as well - he must instil so much confidence in his players because he always backs them to do the aggressive thing.New Zealand have got the bases covered so well. Anderson is left-arm, medium quick – he perfectly complements the likes of Tim Southee. Watch this stunning one-handed catch from a fan during the Sri Lanka v New Zealand in the Cricket World Cup. Paul Pogba Jersey. They’ve got the left-armers of Trent Boult, they’ve got off-spin in Nathan McCullum if they choose to pick him. The evergreen Daniel Vettori is bowling brilliantly again.They look the complete outfit at the moment. There were questions, I suppose, about how they would handle being fancied as opposed to being dark horses. On the evidence of their win over Sri Lanka, it isn’t bothering them one bit.Anderson was named man-of-the-match after adding figures of 2-18 to his brutal innings, which featured eight fours and two sixes.Sky Sports pundit Bob Willis hailed his contribution, saying: He’s an extraordinary player. He’s just appeared on the scene out of nowhere. It was only that incredible innings by AB de Villiers in Johannesburg that deprived Anderson of the fastest century in one-day international cricket. There’s nothing to say that he won’t beat that in this competition. He’s a superb all-round cricketer, particularly in the one-day format.You’ve got to remember that New Zealand’s cricketers are all the time in the shadow of the All Blacks rugby team – it’s much more difficult to express yourself as a cricketer.But hats off to Brendon McCullum. You don’t have to think back too far to the disarray that New Zealand were in with Vettori giving up the captaincy and Ross Taylor being given the job and that being taken away from him.So it was a very, very delicate situation when Brendon McCullum came in and tried to galvanise this team with all the distractions of T20 cricket going on around the world.Watch New Zealand take on Scotland in Mondays Group A clash at 10pm on Sky Sports World Cup. 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