Madrid mayor Ana Botella has confirmed Los Blancos legend Alfredo di Stefano will be honoured by having a street named after him.
The 88-year-old died on Monday in hospital in the Spanish capital having suffered a heart attack on Saturday, a day after his birthday.
Players, fans, and figures from Spanish royalty and politicans paid tribute to di Stefano on Tuesday as the filed past his coffin at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday. He was buried in a cemetery in Madrid on Wednesday following a private funeral just for the family.
Di Stefano won five European Cups with Los Blancos and eight La Liga titles. He scored 418 goals in 510 games in 11 glorious years in Madrid and won the Ballon d’Or twice. In 2000, he was appointed as honorary president of Real Madrid.
Ana Botella, the mayor or Madrid, was one of those to pay her respects to di Stefano this week, and said plans were in place to have a street named after the legendary striker.
She told the club’s website: “[Di Stefano] made Real Madrid great and took the name of Spain’s capital around the world. The city authority is going to propose to name a public space or a street in his honour.”
Newly-crowned King Felipe VI also visited the makeshift chapel at the stadium and called di Stefano “a great among greats”.
“First, I would like to pass my condolences on to his family, to the Real Madrid family, to the club and to the whole of Spanish football,” Felipe said. “He is a one-off, who made football into an art. He was an extraordinary personality and has our eternal admiration and gratitude. A great among greats.”
