South America Comes Of Age In England

Nothing could be more appropriate than the top prize in the European game doing the rounds in South America. It feels as if football is coming home.

It is easy to take the wealth and prestige of the UEFA Champions League for granted. But a little more than 50 years ago, when the European Cup got off the ground, it was a step in the dark. Economically and psychologically, Europe was still recovering from the Second World War. Was there really a future for a competition for the continent's leading clubs?

In 1955, it was a gamble. By 1960, it was a sure thing. The reason for the change - Alfredo di Stefano.

One of the last and probably the greatest product of the golden age in Argentine football, the 1940s, Di Stefano, after a spell in Colombia, landed at Real Madrid in 1953. Then he showed Europe attacking football of a technical and tactical quality that the continent had never seen before. He led Real to victory in the first five European Cups, and the manner of the triumphs set off a fever for football in general and for this competition in particular.

As a quick example, without Di Stefano, Bobby Charlton may not have developed into such a fine player. The great Argentine became his inspiration.

Di Stefano, of course, had a fine supporting cast and some of them were from his home continent; there was his compatriot Hector Rial, also in the forward line, the Uruguayan Jose Santamaria dominant at centre half and the Brazilian Canario on the wing.

So there is nothing new about the importance of South America's contribution to Europe's premier club competition. What is relatively recent is the sheer quantity of South Americans now making their living with top European clubs.