- Title: Iconic Di Stefano collection set for million-dollar auction
- Date: 28th June 2021
- Summary: MADRID, SPAIN (FILE - 2008) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** DI STEFANO AND THEN-REAL MADRID PRESIDENT, RAMON CALDERON, UNVEIL STATUE AT ALFREDO DI STEFANO STADIUM IN VALDEBEBAS DI STEFANO AFTER UNVEILING STATUE VARIOUS OF STATUE THEN-FIFA PRESIDENT, SEPP BLATTER, AND DI STEFANO HUGGING AND HOLDING UP BANNER DI STEFANO AND FORMER PORTUGAL PLAYER, EUSEBIO, HUGGING INSIDE REAL MADRID'S BERNABEU STADIUM DI STEFANO, BLATTER, UEFA PRESIDENT MICHEL PLATINI, CALDERON AND OTHERS ARRIVING AT TRIBUTE CEREMONY VARIOUS OF DI STEFANO TAKING THE STAND, RECEIVING HONOUR TROPHY FROM PLATINI SEPIA PICTURE OF REAL MADRID SQUAD AFTER WINNING THE FOURTH EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP IN 1959 DI STEFANO LOOKING AT PICTURES AT THE EXHIBITION DEDICATED TO HIM
- Embargoed: 12th July 2021 10:09
- Keywords: Alfredo di Stefano Real Madrid auction
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM / MADRID & BARCELONA, SPAIN / STUTTGART, GERMANY / PARIS, FRANCE
- City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM / MADRID & BARCELONA, SPAIN / STUTTGART, GERMANY / PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Europe,Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA003EJBE2QH
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A collection of footballing memorabilia belonging to former Real Madrid great Alfredo di Stefano will be auctioned over two days in London in September.
Items for sale include his winner's medals and trophies from the five European Cup finals he helped Real Madrid win between 1956 and 1960, as well as the eight La Liga trophies he won between 1954 and 1964.
His Ballon d'Or tophies from 1957 to 1959, and his 1989 'super' Ballon d'Or will also be up for sale at Julien's Auctions at Mall Galleries in London on September 23 and 24, with organisers estimating the collection is worth more than USD1,000,000.
"It's very rare that items like this come on the auction block," Martin Nolan, Executive Director of Julien's, told Reuters.
"In fact, five years ago, we did a huge auction here at the Mall Galleries in London, as well, for Pele. And in fact, that's when we invited the di Stefano family to come see the exhibition, see the auction, with the view of considering doing something similar as we did for Pele.
"The family have decided, now is the time for these items to be shared with the world - because he's a global icon, a super star - as regards to his career in soccer. So, these items will be highly sought-after."
In total, more than 600 items will be going under the hammer, and as well as the various trophies and medals di Stefano won, shirts, coins, plaques and personal items will also be available, while the public can view the collection in the week leading up to the auction.
Di Stefano was born in Argentina in 1926, playing for River Plate in Buenos Aires and Millonarios in Bogota, Colombia. But it was when he moved to Europe in 1953, joining Real Madrid, that he became a global superstar.
He scored 216 goals for Real Madrid in 282 league games and 49 goals in 58 European Cup matches, including a hat-trick in the 1960 final as Los Blancos ran out 7-3 winners against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Di Stefano also won La Liga with Valencia in the 1970/71 season before taking charge of Real Madrid in the 1980s and again at the start of the 1990s. He died, aged 88 in 2014.
(Production: Gerhard Mey, Kurt Michael Hall, Iain Axon) - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
