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Gigi Riva

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Gigi Riva
Gigi Riva, Italia, 1968 (cropped 2).JPG
Riva with Italy in 1968
Personal information
Full name Luigi Riva[1]
Date of birth (1944-11-07) 7 November 1944 (age 78)
Place of birth Leggiuno, Italy
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[2]
Position(s) Forward, Striker
Youth career
1961–1962 Laveno Mombello
1962 Legnano
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1962–1963 Legnano 23 (6)
1963–1976 Cagliari 315 (164)
Total 338 (170)
International career
1965–1974 Italy 42 (35)
Managerial career
1988–2013 Italy (technical director)
Honours
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Luigi "Gigi" Riva (Italian: [luˈiːdʒi ˈriːva]; born 7 November 1944) is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a centre-forward.

Considered to be one of the best players of his generation, as well as one of the greatest strikers of all time,[3][4][5][6] Riva enjoyed a remarkable scoring record for Cagliari, thanks to his composure in front of goal, powerful left foot and aerial ability; his speed, strength and eye for goal led the Italian journalist Gianni Brera to nickname him "Rombo di Tuono" (Roar of Thunder).[4][5] Aside from his debut season with Legnano, Riva remained with the Sardinian club for his entire career: he helped Cagliari achieve promotion to the Italian top-flight for the first time in 1964, and later led the club to their only Serie A title in 1969–70.[4][7]

At international level, Riva won the 1968 UEFA European Championship and was runner-up at the 1970 FIFA World Cup with the Italy national team; he also took part at the 1974 FIFA World Cup. With 35 goals in 42 appearances (in all official competitions) between 1965 and 1974, he is Italy's all-time leading goalscorer.[4]

After retiring in 1976, Riva briefly served as the president of Cagliari during the 1986–87 season,[8] and was later the team manager and director of the Italy national team from 1988 until 2013.[9][10]

Discover more about Gigi Riva related topics

Association football

Association football

Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel a ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is to score more goals than the opposite team by moving the ball beyond the goal line into a rectangular-framed goal defended by the opposing side. Traditionally, the game has been played over two 45-minute halves, for a total match time of 90 minutes. With an estimated 250 million players active in over 200 countries and territories, it is considered the world's most popular sport.

Cagliari Calcio

Cagliari Calcio

Cagliari Calcio, commonly referred to as Cagliari, is an Italian football club based in Cagliari, Sardinia. In the 2022-23 season, they compete in Serie B. As of 2021–22, the team is temporarily playing their home games at the 16,416-seat Unipol Domus, adjacent to their future new stadium site.

Gianni Brera

Gianni Brera

Giovanni Luigi "Gianni" Brera was an Italian sports journalist and novelist. This is a description by himself: "My real name is Giovanni Luigi Brera. I was born on 8 September 1919 in San Zenone Po in the province of Pavia, and grew up like a wild man among woods, river banks and still waters. [...] I am a Padan from the banks and flood plains, the bush and the sandbanks. I soon realized I was a legitimate son of the Po".

Scudetto

Scudetto

The scudetto is a decoration having the colors of the flag of Italy which is sewn onto the jersey of the Italian sports clubs that won the highest level championship of their respective sport in the previous season. The scudetto was created in the 1920s to honour the winner of the national association football league and the first team to wear it was Genoa C.F.C. in 1924. Later, it was adopted by the teams of other sports.

1969–70 Serie A

1969–70 Serie A

The 1969–70 Serie A season was won by Cagliari.

1970 FIFA World Cup

1970 FIFA World Cup

The 1970 FIFA World Cup was the ninth edition of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football championship for men's senior national teams. Held from 31 May to 21 June in Mexico, it was the first World Cup tournament held outside Europe and South America, and it was also the first held in North America. Teams representing 75 nations from all six populated continents entered the competition, and its qualification rounds began in May 1968. Fourteen teams qualified from this process to join host nation Mexico and defending champions England in the 16-team final tournament. El Salvador, Israel and Morocco made their debut appearances at the final stage.

Italy national football team

Italy national football team

The Italy national football team has represented Italy in international football since its first match in 1910. The national team is controlled by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), the governing body for football in Italy, which is a co-founder and member of UEFA. Italy's home matches are played at various stadiums throughout Italy, and its primary training ground and technical headquarters, Centro Tecnico Federale di Coverciano, is located in Florence. Italy are the reigning European champions, having won UEFA Euro 2020.

1974 FIFA World Cup

1974 FIFA World Cup

The 1974 FIFA World Cup was the tenth FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial football tournament for men's senior national teams, and was played in West Germany between 13 June and 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded. The previous trophy, the Jules Rimet Trophy, had been won for the third time by Brazil in 1970 and awarded permanently to the Brazilians. This was the first out of three World Cups to feature two rounds of group stages.

List of international goals scored by Gigi Riva

List of international goals scored by Gigi Riva

Gigi Riva is an Italian former association football forward who represented the Italy national football team and he is the country's all-time top goalscorer. Since debuting for Italy against Hungary on 27 June 1965, Riva scored 35 goals in 42 appearances. He scored his first international goal in his fourth appearance for his country on 1 November 1967, as part of a hat-trick scored against Cyprus during a UEFA Euro 1968 qualifier match. Riva made his last appearance for Italy on 19 June 1974 in a 1–1 draw against Argentina during the 1974 FIFA World Cup.

Early life

Riva was born into a poor family in Leggiuno, a small town in the northern Italian province of Varese, Lombardy, near the Swiss border, on 7 November 1944. His mother, Edis, was a housewife, while his father, Ugo, worked several jobs, firstly as a hairdresser, then as a tailor, and subsequently in a factory, where he died in a work-related accident on 10 February 1953, when Luigi was nine. Edis began working as a maid, while Luigi was sent to a strict religious boarding school, where he remained for three years, before finding a job in a lift-factory and beginning to play football; his mother died soon afterwards.[11][12][13]

Club career

1962–1964: Early years, debut with Legnano, and promotion with Cagliari

Riva started playing amateur football for the Laveno Mombello youth side in Lombardy, scoring 30 goals in 1961 and 33 the following season. He began his professional career in 1962, at the age of 18, when he joined Serie C side Legnano-Ivrea, scoring 6 goals in 22 appearances in his debut season. The youngster's promising performances attracted the attention of Cagliari president Enrico Rocca, and he was acquired by the Serie B side the following year for a notable sum of 37 million Lire, at the age of 19; Riva remained with the Sardinian team for the rest of his career. In his first season with the club, he scored 8 goals in 26 appearances and helped Cagliari to a second-place finish in the league behind Varese, which enabled the team to achieve promotion to the top-flight for the first time in their 40-year history.[2][14][4][5][10][11][15][16][17][18]

1964–1970: Serie A debut with Cagliari and road to the Serie A title

Riva with Cagliari in 1970.
Riva with Cagliari in 1970.

The following season, Riva made his Serie A debut for Cagliari on 13 September 1964, in a 2–1 loss against Roma, and also helped the club avoid relegation, leading the team to a comfortable sixth-place finish in the table, scoring an encouraging 9 goals in 32 appearances at the age of 20. This was followed by eleventh, sixth, and ninth place finishes in the league between 1965 and 1968, while Riva also finished as the league's top-scorer for the first time during the 1966–67 season with 18 goals, as the club began to build a potential title winning side around their star striker: Riva attracted several notable footballers to Cagliari, and the team during this period featured key players such as Enrico Albertosi, Roberto Boninsegna, Ricciotti Greatti, Comunardo Niccolai, Mario Martiradonna, Mario Brugnera, Pierluigi Cera, and Nené.[14][5] Riva subsequently helped Cagliari to a second-place finish in both the Coppa Italia, behind Roma, and the league, four points behind Fiorentina, during the 1968–69 season, winning the capocannoniere title for a second time with 20 goals in 29 appearances; Cagliari had been leading in the league until the 21st matchday, when a loss at home to Juventus caused the team to surrender their lead.[14][5]

Following the arrival of fellow forwards Angelo Domenghini and Sergio Gori from Inter in the summer of 1969, in exchange for Boninsegna, Riva finally won his maiden career Serie A title with Cagliari during the 1969–70 season; under the guidance of manager Manlio Scopigno and his offensive tactics, Riva led the team's front line, scoring several decisive goals that ultimately helped the club win the championship. On 15 March 1970, with Cagliari having climbed to the top of the table with six league games remaining, Riva scored two goals to help Cagliari come back twice from behind in a 2–2 away draw against second placed Juventus; his second, equalising goal came from a penalty, with eight minutes remaining, and the result allowed Cagliari to maintain their lead over the Turin side in Serie A. Cagliari headed into April still in first place by three points, with three matches remaining; in order to clinch the Scudetto, Cagliari needed to win their next match at home against Bari, while Juventus, who were still in second place, needed to lose away against Lazio. On 12 April, Riva opened the scoring with a diving header in an eventual 2–0 win over Bari at the Stadio Amsicora, while Juventus suffered a 2–0 defeat to Lazio in Rome, with goals from Gian Piero Ghio and Giorgio Chinaglia; as a result, Cagliari were crowned Serie A champions for the first time in their history, with two games to spare, also sealing a place in the European Cup the following season.[15][19] This was the first time a club south of Rome had ever won the league title; Riva once again finished the season as top-scorer, with 21 goals. During this period, Riva's skill, prolific goalscoring, and decisive performances in leading a small, provincial club like Cagliari from Serie B to the Serie A title saw him become one of the best strikers in the world: he was the Serie A top-scorer on three occasions, in 1966–67, in 1968–69 and in 1969–70, and he placed 2nd in the 1969 Ballon d'Or, behind compatriot Gianni Rivera, and 3rd in the 1970 Ballon d'Or, behind Gerd Müller and Bobby Moore.[2][14][4][5][11][13][15][16]

1970–1976: Final years with Cagliari

"... I baptise him Rombo di tuono [thunder-clap] ... one of the most extraordinary athletes ever produced by Italian football."

— Journalist Gianni Brera gives Riva his famous nickname.[12]

Riva's season immediately following Cagliari's league triumph took off to a promising start: in the opening weeks of the season, he helped Cagliari to the top of the league table with a series of impressive results, including a 3–1 away win over Inter at the San Siro stadium on 29 October 1970, scoring twice, and earning his famous nickname "Rombo di Tuono" (Roar of Thunder) from journalist Gianni Brera as a result of his dominant performance. He also made his debut in the European Cup that season, helping Cagliari to the second round with two goals in a 3–0 home win against Saint-Étienne in the first leg of the first round of the competition; he later added a third goal in the tournament in the club's 2–1 home victory over Atlético Madrid in the first leg of the second round.[5] However, Riva's season was ended prematurely by a serious injury which he endured in a European qualifying match with the Italy national team in late October; in his absence, Cagliari were soon eliminated from the European Cup in the round of 16, and dropped down the domestic table, eventually finishing the season in seventh place. After recovering from his injury, Riva managed 21 goals in 30 games during the 1971–72 season, finishing the season as the second highest goalscorer in the league, and helping Cagliari to a fourth-place finish and a spot in the next season's UEFA Cup.[4] With the departure of Scopigno, Cagliari's results declined during the next two seasons, with the club only managing low mid-table finishes, although Riva's goalscoring output still remained consistent, as he scored 12 goals during 1972–73 season, and 15 during the 1973–74 season. Despite having already established himself as a world class player, while Cagliari struggled in the league during the mid 70s, Riva remained loyal to the Sardinian side, and turned down many bids from larger clubs, in particular from northern Italy. During his time with Cagliari, he demonstrated his attachment to the club when he refused several lucrative offers from Serie A giants Juventus in order to remain in the Sardinian capital, despite numerous rumours in the press which stated that he had already signed with the Turin side in exchange for large, record-breaking sums and several of their own players.[14][4][5][10][13][19]

Despite his talent and goalscoring prowess, Riva's career was blighted by several major injuries, in particular with the Italian national side, and which greatly limited his playing time in later seasons; he missed 35 games in the five seasons leading up to 1971, and only appeared in 24 matches for Cagliari between 1974 and 1976, which saw an overall decline to his goalscoring rate and the club's performances during this period. During the 1974–75 season, a calf injury limited him to 8 appearances and 2 goals with the club, and on 1 February 1976, while playing in a match for Cagliari against Milan, Riva ruptured a tendon and tore an adductor muscle in his right thigh, following a physical shoulder challenge near the corner flag from Aldo Bet, after being chased down by the Milan defender; he never successfully recovered and, despite several comeback attempts over the next year and a half, was eventually forced to retire in 1978, at the age of 33, having played his last game at the age of 31 in 1976. The injury limited Riva to only 15 appearances during the 1975–76 Serie A season; despite his run of six goals in a span of eight games during the final season of his career, Cagliari finished in last place in the league in his absence, and were relegated to Serie B.[2][4][15][16][20] In total, Riva scored 248 goals for club and country throughout his career in 439 appearances,[10][19] scoring 164 league goals with Cagliari in 315 appearances, 156 of which came in 289 Serie A appearances. Overall, he scored 207 goals in 374 appearances in all competitions during his thirteen seasons with Cagliari, and 213 career club goals in 397 appearances.[4][11]

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Enrico Rocca

Enrico Rocca

Enrico Rocca was an Italian violin maker of the 19th and the 20th Centuries and son of Giuseppe Rocca.

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1963–64 Serie B

The Serie B 1963–64 was the thirty-second tournament of this competition played in Italy since its creation.

1964–65 Serie A

1964–65 Serie A

The 1964–65 Serie A season was won by Internazionale.

A.S. Roma

A.S. Roma

Associazione Sportiva Romacode: ita promoted to code: it , commonly referred to as Roma, is a professional football club based in Rome, Italy. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma has participated in the top tier of Italian football for all of its existence, except for the 1951–52 season. Roma has won Serie A three times, in 1941–42, 1982–83 and 2000–01, as well as nine Coppa Italiacode: ita promoted to code: it titles and two Supercoppa Italianacode: ita promoted to code: it titles. In European competitions, Roma won the UEFA Europa Conference League in 2021–22, the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1960–61 and was runner-up in the 1983–84 European Cup and the 1990–91 UEFA Cup.

1965–66 Serie A

1965–66 Serie A

The 1965–66 Serie A season was won by Internazionale.

1966–67 Serie A

1966–67 Serie A

The 1966–67 Serie A season was won by Juventus, it was their second scudetto of the 1960s. The season was closely contested and went down to the final day of the season; Internazionale were left needing just a draw or having Juventus not beat Lazio to win the title. However, Inter lost 1–0 on the final day to Mantova thanks to a goal from one of their former players, Beniamino Di Giacomo. Juventus on the other hand beat Lazio 2–1 to take their 13th title.

1967–68 Serie A

1967–68 Serie A

The 1967–68 Serie A season was won by Milan.

Capocannoniere

Capocannoniere

The Capocannoniere award, known as Paolo Rossi Award since 2021, is awarded by the Italian Footballers' Association (AIC) to the highest goalscorer of each season in Italy's Serie A. The award is currently held by Ciro Immobile, who scored 27 goals for Lazio in the 2021–22 season.

Enrico Albertosi

Enrico Albertosi

Enrico "Ricky" Albertosi is an Italian former footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Regarded as one of Italy's greatest ever goalkeepers, he had a successful club career, winning titles with Fiorentina, Cagliari, and Milan, before retiring with Elpidiense. He also played for the Italy national team in the 1966 World Cup and the 1970 World Cup, in which Italy reached the final, as well as being a member of the Italy teams that took part in the 1962 and 1974 World Cups. Albertosi was also included in the Italy squad that won the 1968 European Championship.

Roberto Boninsegna

Roberto Boninsegna

Roberto Boninsegna is an Italian former football player, who mainly played as a forward. After retiring, he worked as a football manager. As a player, he represented the Italy national side at two World Cups, reaching the final in 1970.

Ricciotti Greatti

Ricciotti Greatti

Ricciotti Greatti is an Italian former footballer who played as a midfielder.

International career

Riva (standing, first from right) with Italy in 1969
Riva (standing, first from right) with Italy in 1969

Early years and Euro 1968 champion

Following some impressive performances for the Italian youth side,[17] Riva made his senior international debut with Italy at the age of 20, on 27 June 1965, in a 2–1 friendly defeat against Hungary, coming on for the injured Ezio Pascutti in the eighth minute; he was the first Cagliari player to be capped at senior international level.[21] His international career took off to a difficult start, as his performance in his second appearance for Italy, a 0–0 friendly draw against France in Paris on 19 March 1966, was criticised by noted journalist Gianni Brera, who initially described Riva as a "one-footed" and "incomplete player".[10] He was subsequently controversially excluded from the 22-man 1966 FIFA World Cup squad, although he was still brought to England by manager Edmondo Fabbri, along with Mario Bertini, as an additional reserve, in order to gain experience with the national side; Italy were eliminated in the first round of the tournament.[22] After breaking both his left tibia and fibula in his third international appearance, a 1–1 friendly home draw against Portugal on 27 March 1967, Riva returned to the national team as a starter seven months later, and finally scored his first goal for Italy in his fourth international appearance, a 5–0 home win over Cyprus on 1 November 1967, in a UEFA Euro 1968 qualifying match, later completing a hat-trick in the same game.[6][10] Riva was a member of the Italian side that won the 1968 European Championships on home soil under manager Ferruccio Valcareggi; after recovering from a leg injury, he returned to the starting line-up and scored the opening goal in the twelfth minute of the final replay in Rome on 10 June, which ended in a 2–0 victory over Yugoslavia;[2][4][6][23] Riva was named to the Team of the Tournament for his performance during the match.[24]

1970 World Cup runner-up

"The best goal of the best game of the best sport in the world."

— Journalist Mario Grismondi comments on Riva's extra-time goal against West Germany in Italy's 4–3 victory in the 1970 World Cup semi-final.[12]

On 22 November 1969, Riva scored a famous diving header in a 3–0 away win in a World Cup qualifying match against East Germany, at the Stadio San Paolo in Naples, which sealed Italy's place at the 1970 World Cup; prior to the tournament, he had scored 19 goals in only 16 matches.[6] At the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, much was expected of Riva; however, he initially underperformed in the first round, failing to score in each of Italy's three group matches, although both Riva and his strike-partner Angelo Domenghini saw their goals wrongly disallowed for offside in Italy's final group match, a 0–0 draw against Israel on 11 June.[25] Following his disappointing and goalless performances in the group stage, and much media criticism and scrutiny, Riva finally opened his account in the World Cup in the second round. On 14 June, he helped Italy defeat the hosts Mexico 4–1 in the quarter-finals, scoring two goals, both from Gianni Rivera assists, forming a notable offensive partnership with the Milan playmaker in the knock-out rounds of the competition.[19][26][27] Riva subsequently netted a crucial extra-time goal – his 22nd in 21 international appearances – against West Germany in Italy's 4–3 semi-final victory on 17 June, which is colloquially known as the "Game of the Century".[4][6][28] The Italian team finished runners up in the tournament after losing 4–1 to Brazil in the final; Riva finished the competition as Italy's top-scorer, with three goals.[4] After the tournament, Riva broke his right leg while on international duty in a European qualifying match later that year; he was forced off in the 76th minute of a 2–1 away win against Austria on 31 October, at the Praterstadion, in Vienna, following a hard challenge from Austrian defender Norbert Hof.[2][10][29]

Later years, Italy's all-time goalscorer and 1974 World Cup

On 31 March 1973, Riva scored four goals in a 5–0 home win over Luxembourg, in a World Cup qualifying match, becoming one of only six players to accomplish this feat with the Italian national side.[19][30] On 9 June, he became Italy's all-time leading goalscorer, equalling the record of 33 goals held by Giuseppe Meazza, scoring in a 2–0 friendly against Brazil in Rome; Meazza reportedly stated after the match "That Riva is good, he scored a lot of goals against Cyprus and Turkey. Surely my goals were much more important."[31] Riva later surpassed Meazza's record with his 34th international goal in a 2–0 home win in a friendly against Sweden on 29 September 1973, and scored his final and 35th goal for Italy later that year, on 20 October, in a 2–0 home win over Switzerland in a World Cup qualifying match.[4][19] Despite his initial dominance for Italy, Riva's struggles with injuries subsequently saw him display a series of disappointing performances at the 1974 World Cup in West Germany, along with many other members of the Italian squad, which led him to be dropped for the last group game against Poland, which saw Italy eliminated in the first round of the tournament following a 2–1 defeat; he made his 42nd and final appearance for Italy at the age of 29, in Italy's second group match of the tournament, a 1–1 draw against Argentina, on 19 June.[2][4][5][6][32] Riva is currently still Italy's top-goalscorer of all-time, with 35 goals in just 42 matches, with an average of 0.83 goals per game.[33] In addition to being Italy's all-time leading goalscorer, Riva is also the highest goalscorer in combined goals scored at the FIFA World Cup and FIFA World Cup qualifier matches with 17 goals, and Italy's highest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup qualifiers, with 14 goals.[34] Furthermore, alongside Silvio Piola, he co-holds the national team's record for most goals on opposition soil with 13.[35]

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Italy national football team

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Ezio Pascutti

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France national football team

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Gianni Brera

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1966 FIFA World Cup

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1970 FIFA World Cup qualification

1970 FIFA World Cup qualification

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After retirement

"Riva is eternal for Sardinia, he is a mythical ... almost a religious figure."

— Vito Biolchini.[12]

After retiring, Riva remained in Cagliari, and founded the first school of football in Sardinia in 1976, which bears his name.[4] He later became an executive with his former club; he also briefly served as Cagliari's president during the 1986–87 season, but stepped down from this position in December 1986, after only a few months, and was replaced by Lucio Cordeddu.[8] He later served as a director and subsequently as a team managing staff member for the Italy national football team from 1988 until 2013, and was also a member of the technical staff for the Italy national team that won the 2006 FIFA World Cup under his supervision; he drew praise from captain Fabio Cannavaro for his role in Italy's fourth World Cup title victory.[4][5][9][10]

On 5 January 2005 Cagliari retired Riva's number 11 jersey to honour him and his achievements with the club; Rocco Sabato, the last holder of the number 11 shirt, presented Riva with his jersey in the official ceremony held at the Stadio Sant'Elia of Cagliari, ahead of Italy's friendly match against Russia. Riva's jersey was the first to be retired by the Sardinian club.[4][5][10]

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Cagliari Calcio

Cagliari Calcio

Cagliari Calcio, commonly referred to as Cagliari, is an Italian football club based in Cagliari, Sardinia. In the 2022-23 season, they compete in Serie B. As of 2021–22, the team is temporarily playing their home games at the 16,416-seat Unipol Domus, adjacent to their future new stadium site.

Squad number (association football)

Squad number (association football)

Squad numbers are used in association football to identify and distinguish players that are on the field. Numbers very soon became a way to also indicate position, with starting players being assigned numbers 1–11, although in the modern game they are often influenced by the players' favourite numbers and other less technical reasons, as well as using "surrogates" for a number that is already in use. However, numbers 1–11 are often still worn by players of the previously associated position.

Rocco Sabato

Rocco Sabato

Rocco Sabato is an Italian former footballer who last played for Maceratese in the Serie D. He played as a defender, usually at left-back.

Stadio Sant'Elia

Stadio Sant'Elia

Stadio Comunale Sant'Elia was a football stadium in Cagliari, Italy. It is best known for having been the home of Cagliari Calcio. It hosted three matches during the 1990 FIFA World Cup. The stadium had an initial capacity of 60,000 spectators, reduced to 40,919 in 1990, and then 23,834 and finally 16,000 spectators with a provisional stand. It was closed in 2017 and the new Unipol Domus was built as a replacement.

Russia national football team

Russia national football team

The Russia national football team represents the Russian Federation in men's international football. It is controlled by the Russian Football Union, the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home ground is the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow and their head coach is Valery Karpin.

Style of play

"Riva plays poetic football. He is a realistic poet."

Pier Paolo Pasolini.[12]

"[Riva]'s right foot is only needed to step up onto the tram."

— Riva's coach at Cagliari, Manlio Scopigno, known as The Philosopher, jokes about Riva's predominantly left footed playing style.[36]

Regarded as one of Italy's greatest players, and as one of the best strikers of his generation, Riva was a well rounded, brave, prolific, and opportunistic forward, with an astonishing finishing skill; due to his dominance and skill, he is considered by some in the sport to be Italy's greatest player ever. He was initially deployed as a winger on the left flank early in his career, although he would often cut into the centre of the pitch in order to strike on goal; as a result, he was later played in a more offensive and central role, as a main striker, where he excelled, due to his eye for goal. A naturally left footed player, he had a very powerful and accurate shot from both inside and outside the area, which led Gianni Brera to nickname him "Rombo di Tuono" (Roar of Thunder); although he was predominantly left-footed, he was also capable of scoring with his right foot on occasion.[2][4][6][37][38]

"One of the best, if not the best striker I have ever met."

— Riva's former Italy team-mate Sandro Mazzola praises the Cagliari striker.[6]

Due to his height, powerful physique, elevation, and his heading accuracy, Riva excelled in the air, and he also had a penchant for scoring spectacular, acrobatic goals from bicycle kicks, courtesy of his athleticism and volleying ability. Despite his tall build and strong physical attributes, he also possessed excellent technical ability, creativity, and good dribbling skills, as well as a very delicate first touch and notable elegance on the ball. In addition to his goalscoring prowess and technique, he was also an extremely fit, hard-working, and fast player, with notable stamina, who excelled during sprints and at making attacking runs. He was also an accurate free-kick and penalty kick taker. Despite his ability, his career was often marked by injuries, which later affected his mobility, continuity, and fitness, and eventually forced him to retire prematurely.[2][4][5][15][17]

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Pier Paolo Pasolini

Pier Paolo Pasolini

Pier Paolo Pasolini was an Italian poet, filmmaker, writer, and intellectual who also distinguished himself as a journalist, novelist, translator, playwright, visual artist and actor. He is considered one of the defining public intellectuals in 20th-century Italy, influential both as an artist and a political figure.

Manlio Scopigno

Manlio Scopigno

Manlio Scopigno was an Italian professional football player and coach. Known as "il Filosofo", he is best known for coaching Cagliari to win their only Serie A title in 1970.

Forward (association football)

Forward (association football)

Forwards are outfield positions in an association football team who play the furthest up the pitch and are therefore most responsible for scoring goals as well as assisting them. As with any attacking player, the role of the forward relies heavily on being able to create space for attack.

Gianni Brera

Gianni Brera

Giovanni Luigi "Gianni" Brera was an Italian sports journalist and novelist. This is a description by himself: "My real name is Giovanni Luigi Brera. I was born on 8 September 1919 in San Zenone Po in the province of Pavia, and grew up like a wild man among woods, river banks and still waters. [...] I am a Padan from the banks and flood plains, the bush and the sandbanks. I soon realized I was a legitimate son of the Po".

Sandro Mazzola

Sandro Mazzola

Alessandro "Sandro" Mazzola is an Italian former professional footballer, who played as a forward or attacking midfielder for Internazionale and the Italy national team. He currently works as a football analyst and commentator on the Italian national television station RAI.

Bicycle kick

Bicycle kick

In association football, a bicycle kick, also known as an overhead kick or scissors kick, is an acrobatic strike where a player kicks an airborne ball rearward in midair. It is achieved by throwing the body backward up into the air and, before descending to the ground, making a shearing movement with the lower limbs to get the ball-striking leg in front of the other. In most languages, the manoeuvre is named after either the cycling motion or the scissor motion that it resembles. Its complexity, and uncommon performance in competitive football matches, makes it one of association football's most celebrated skills.

Penalty kick (association football)

Penalty kick (association football)

A penalty kick is a method of restarting play in association football, in which a player is allowed to take a single shot at the goal while it is defended only by the opposing team's goalkeeper. It is awarded when an offence punishable by a direct free kick is committed by a player in their own penalty area. The shot is taken from the penalty mark, which is 11 m from the goal line and centred between the touch lines.

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[2]
Club Season League Coppa Italia League Cup Europe Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Legnano 1962–63 Serie C 23 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 23 6
Cagliari 1963–64 Serie B 26 8 2 0 0 0 0 0 28 8
1964–65 Serie A 32 9 4 3 0 0 0 0 36 12
1965–66 Serie A 34 11 3 0 0 0 0 0 37 11
1966–67 Serie A 23 18 3 0 1 1 0 0 27 19
1967–68 Serie A 26 13 1 0 4 3 0 0 31 16
1968–69 Serie A 29 20 6 8 2 0 0 0 37 28
1969–70 Serie A 28 21 6 5 0 0 2 1 36 27
1970–71 Serie A 13 8 5 5 4 2 3 3 25 18
1971–72 Serie A 30 21 4 3 0 0 0 0 34 24
1972–73 Serie A 26 12 6 8 0 0 1 0 33 20
1973–74 Serie A 25 15 1 0 0 0 0 0 26 15
1974–75 Serie A 8 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 9 3
1975–76 Serie A 15 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 6
Total 315 164 42 33 11 6 6 4 374 207
Career total 338 170 42 33 11 6 6 4 397 213

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year[32]
National team Year Apps Goals
Italy 1965 1 0
1966 1 0
1967 4 6
1968 2 2
1969 6 8
1970 10 6
1971 3 2
1972 6 4
1973 7 7
1974 2 0
Total 42 35

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1963–64 Serie B

1963–64 Serie B

The Serie B 1963–64 was the thirty-second tournament of this competition played in Italy since its creation.

1964–65 Serie A

1964–65 Serie A

The 1964–65 Serie A season was won by Internazionale.

1965–66 Serie A

1965–66 Serie A

The 1965–66 Serie A season was won by Internazionale.

1966–67 Serie A

1966–67 Serie A

The 1966–67 Serie A season was won by Juventus, it was their second scudetto of the 1960s. The season was closely contested and went down to the final day of the season; Internazionale were left needing just a draw or having Juventus not beat Lazio to win the title. However, Inter lost 1–0 on the final day to Mantova thanks to a goal from one of their former players, Beniamino Di Giacomo. Juventus on the other hand beat Lazio 2–1 to take their 13th title.

1967–68 Serie A

1967–68 Serie A

The 1967–68 Serie A season was won by Milan.

1968–69 Serie A

1968–69 Serie A

The 1968–69 Serie A season was won by Fiorentina.

1969–70 Cagliari Calcio season

1969–70 Cagliari Calcio season

During the 1969–70 season Cagliari Calcio competed in Serie A, Coppa Italia and Fairs Cup.

1970–71 Serie A

1970–71 Serie A

The 1970–71 Serie A season was won by Internazionale.

1971–72 Serie A

1971–72 Serie A

The 1971–72 Serie A season was won by Juventus.

1972–73 Serie A

1972–73 Serie A

The 1972–73 Serie A season was won by Juventus.

1973–74 Serie A

1973–74 Serie A

The 1973–74 Serie A season was won by Lazio.

1974–75 Serie A

1974–75 Serie A

The 1974–75 Serie A season was won by Juventus.

Honours

Cagliari[4]

Italy[4]

Individual

Orders

  • Friedrich Order.png
    CONI: Golden Star of Sports Merit: 2006[49]
  • Friedrich Order.png
    CONI: Golden Collar of Sports Merit: 2016[50]

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Serie A

Serie A

The Serie A, also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Coppa Campioni d'Italia. It has been operating as a round-robin tournament for over ninety years since the 1929–30 season. It had been organized by the Direttorio Divisioni Superiori until 1943 and the Lega Calcio until 2010, when the Lega Serie A was created for the 2010–11 season. Serie A is regarded as one of the best football leagues in the world and it is often depicted as the most tactical and defensively sound national league. Serie A was the world's strongest national league in 2020 according to IFFHS, and is ranked fourth among European leagues according to UEFA's league coefficient – behind the Bundesliga, La Liga and the Premier League, and ahead of Ligue 1 – which is based on the performance of Italian clubs in the Champions League and the Europa League during the previous five years. Serie A led the UEFA ranking from 1986 to 1988 and from 1990 to 1999.

1969–70 Serie A

1969–70 Serie A

The 1969–70 Serie A season was won by Cagliari.

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup

The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament has been held every four years since the inaugural tournament in 1930, except in 1942 and 1946 when it was not held because of the Second World War. The reigning champions are Argentina, who won their third title at the 2022 tournament.

1970 FIFA World Cup

1970 FIFA World Cup

The 1970 FIFA World Cup was the ninth edition of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football championship for men's senior national teams. Held from 31 May to 21 June in Mexico, it was the first World Cup tournament held outside Europe and South America, and it was also the first held in North America. Teams representing 75 nations from all six populated continents entered the competition, and its qualification rounds began in May 1968. Fourteen teams qualified from this process to join host nation Mexico and defending champions England in the 16-team final tournament. El Salvador, Israel and Morocco made their debut appearances at the final stage.

Capocannoniere

Capocannoniere

The Capocannoniere award, known as Paolo Rossi Award since 2021, is awarded by the Italian Footballers' Association (AIC) to the highest goalscorer of each season in Italy's Serie A. The award is currently held by Ciro Immobile, who scored 27 goals for Lazio in the 2021–22 season.

1966–67 Serie A

1966–67 Serie A

The 1966–67 Serie A season was won by Juventus, it was their second scudetto of the 1960s. The season was closely contested and went down to the final day of the season; Internazionale were left needing just a draw or having Juventus not beat Lazio to win the title. However, Inter lost 1–0 on the final day to Mantova thanks to a goal from one of their former players, Beniamino Di Giacomo. Juventus on the other hand beat Lazio 2–1 to take their 13th title.

1968–69 Serie A

1968–69 Serie A

The 1968–69 Serie A season was won by Fiorentina.

Ballon d'Or

Ballon d'Or

The Ballon d'Or is an annual football award presented by French news magazine France Football since 1956. Between 2010 and 2015, in an agreement with FIFA, the award was temporarily merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year and known as the FIFA Ballon d'Or. That partnership ended in 2016, and the award reverted to the Ballon d'Or, while FIFA also reverted to its own separate annual award The Best FIFA Men's Player. The recipients of the joint FIFA Ballon d'Or are considered as winners by both award organisations.

1969 Ballon d'Or

1969 Ballon d'Or

The 1969 Ballon d'Or, given to the best football player in Europe as judged by a panel of sports journalists from UEFA member countries, was awarded to the Italian midfielder Gianni Rivera (Milan) on 23 December 1969. There were 26 voters, from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, East Germany, England, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Soviet Union, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, West Germany and Yugoslavia. Rivera became the second Italian to win the award, after Omar Sívori in 1961. He was also the first Milan player to win the trophy.

1970 Ballon d'Or

1970 Ballon d'Or

The 1970 Ballon d'Or, given to the best football player in Europe as judged by a panel of sports journalists from UEFA member countries, was awarded to the West German forward Gerd Müller on 29 December 1970. There were 26 voters, from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, East Germany, England, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Soviet Union, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, West Germany and Yugoslavia. Müller became the first West German national and the first Bayern Munich player to win the Ballon d'Or.

Golden Foot

Golden Foot

The Golden Foot award is an international football award, given to players who stand out for their athletic achievements and for their personality. The award is only given to active players of at least 28 years of age, and can only be won once.

Italian Football Hall of Fame

Italian Football Hall of Fame

The Italian Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for association football players that have had a significant impact on Italian football.

Source: "Gigi Riva", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2023, February 21st), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gigi_Riva.

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