Real Madrid great Alfredo Di Stefano has been admitted to hospital after suffering a heart attack, the club have announced.
According to reports in Spain, the 88-year-old is in a serious condition after suffering a heart attack in the street close to the Bernabeu.
Madrid said in a brief statement on their official website that president Florentino Perez had visited Di Stefano at the Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Maranon, where he was taken yesterday afternoon.
A hospital spokesman said: “He suffered a heart attack and was taken to the cardiac unit.
“His status is that he is in a coma and we are keeping an eye on his progress.”
Di Stefano is one of Madrid’s finest ever players.
He was central to the club’s domination of European football in the 1950s, helping them win the European Cup for five successive seasons.
The Argentina-born forward played for the club from 1953 and 1964, winning eight Primera Division titles.
He is Madrid’s second highest scorer in history, behind Raul, with 307 goals in all competitions.
He also had two short spells as coach of the club and is their honorary president.
Internationally, he played mainly for Spain but also represented Argentina and Colombia.
Newspaper El Pais said Di Stefano had been eating with his family near the Santiago Bernabeu stadium when he felt ill and sat down on his wheelchair.
By the time an ambulance then arrived he was in cardiorespiratory arrest.
Di Stefano had celebrated his 88th birthday on Friday.
