When Alfredo Di Stéfano played for Millonarios de Colombia, both Barcelona and Madrid paid for the Argentinian’s rights.
To get to the beginning of the disagreements and rivalry between the Real Madrid and the Barcelona It would have to go back more than a century. But to determine when the relationship between the two entities would actually deteriorate, it would be enough to go back to 1953 and focus on Alfredo di Stefano, one of the most important football players in history.
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Di Stéfano was Argentinian and belonged to the club from Buenos Aires River platebut one day in 1949 he went to Colombia and started playing Millionaires of Bogotá. Not only did he leave the club that had brought his rights into disrepute, but he also did so in violation of the club’s own criteria. FIFAwhich did not recognize the Colombian entity as a club belonging to its organization.
The Argentine striker triumphed at Millonarios, just as he had done at River, and Spain were interested in signing him. In 1953, Barcelona and Real Madrid set their sights on him. Meanwhile, FIFA had decided to mediate the conflict between River Plate and Millonarios, awarding Di Stéfano’s rights to the Colombians until 1954 and to River from that year onwards.
The Spanish clubs wanted to fish in troubled waters and FC Barcelona reached an agreement with River Plate about the rights of the Argentinian striker. However, he did not negotiate with Millonarios, something Madrid did Santiago Bernabeu. Alfredo Di Stéfano traveled to Barcelona to receive the culés but could not play because he did not have a transfer from the Colombian club. Azulgranas and the Whites became embroiled in a fight over the Saeta Rubia, which would only end when the Spanish Football Federation took action.
The federation solution was nothing other than to force Madrid and Barcelona to share the player, making him alternate wearing the colors of each other, starting with Real Madrid.
Real Madrid hadn’t won a league since 1933 and were looking for an antidote to Kubala at all costs, so they had no problem with it. However, Barcelona would soon relinquish sharing Di Stéfano’s rights and relinquish their part of the deal. The rest is history.
Source: Goal