Legendary footballer Alfredo Di Stefano dies, aged 88

London, July 8 (IANS) Legendary Argentinian football player Alfredo Di Stefano, who was also the honorary Real Madrid president, passed away in Spain Monday evening following a heart attack, a media report said. He was 88.

He suffered a heart attack Saturday and was being kept in an induced coma in the coronary unit at the General Universitario Gregorio Maranon Hospital in Madrid, the Independent reported.

The Argentina-born player won eight Spanish league titles. He was voted European player of the year in 1957 and 1959. He left Real in 1964 at the age of 38, having scored more than 300 goals across 11 seasons.

Known as "La Saeta Rubia" (the blond arrow), he has had several health problems in recent years and was often seen in a wheelchair in public.

Di Stefano was on a street close to the Bernabeu when he had the heart attack - a day after his 88th birthday, Spanish media reported.

"Real Madrid C. F. regrets to announce that its Honorary President, Alfredo Di Stéfano, passed away today at 17:15 in the General Universitario Gregorio Marañón Hospital in Madrid," an official statement of the football club said.

Real president Florentino Perez said he and the club's board would "like to express deepest condolences and all their love and affection to his children, their families and friends", BBC reported.

Di Stefano played at international level for three nations but never appeared at the World Cup. He won six caps for Argentina and played four times for Colombia during a spell in that country's league. However, his Colombia caps are not officially recognised by FIFA.