With Di Stéfano strong in the mind

The main man during this Sunday's clash between RCD Espanyol and Real Madrid won't be on the pitch in the Estadio de Cornellà-El Prat. Neither will he be scoring any goals or delighting the crowds with memorable pieces of play. He’s already done plenty of that kind of thing in the past. Another season and Alfredo Di Stéfano returns to enjoy another encounter between the two clubs he represented in the Liga BBVA.

In 1964, after a ten-year spell with the Whites, the Saeta Rubia bid farewell to Chamartín and moved to Barcelona where he would follow the instructions of Ladislao Kubala. He scored 308 goals in 396 matches for Real Madrid, a figure that has endeared him forever to the Madrid club and made him its symbol.

Upon arriving at Espanyol, he was welcomed with open arms and his first season with the club kicked off with a significant encounter between the two sides. The match took place on the 13th of September 1964 and although Di Stéfano didn't score, he did play against his old teammates. During his first season with the Catalan club (1964/65), La Saeta scored seven goals in 24 games as the team finished 11th in the league table. During the 1965/66 campaign he scored four times in 23 games as Espanyol finished 12th.

That would be the last season Di Stéfano featured in an official match. After that he began receiving tributes from all his former clubs and also got his new career as the Real Madrid sports director started in 1990.