Gigi Riva

Gigi Riva
Riva with Italy in 1968
Personal information
Full name Luigi Riva[1]
Date of birth (1944-11-07)7 November 1944
Place of birth Leggiuno, Italy
Date of death 22 January 2024(2024-01-22) (aged 79)
Place of death Cagliari, Italy
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[2]
Position(s) 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 (Team manager)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Italy
UEFA European Championship
Winner 1968 Italy
FIFA World Cup
Runner-up 1970 Mexico
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Luigi "Gigi" Riva (Italian: [luˈiːdʒi ˈriːva]; 7 November 1944 – 22 January 2024) was an Italian professional footballer who played as a striker.

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 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]

  1. ^ "Riva Sig. Luigi" [Riva Mr. Luigi]. Quirinale (in Italian). Presidenza della Repubblica Italiana. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference enciclopediadelcalcio was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ D'Ascoli, Mario (7 January 2009). "Maldini: ecco la super squadra con i più grandi calciatori italiani di tutti i tempi". Quotidiano.net (in Italian). Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d "Riva, the Italian roar of thunder". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 9 September 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference storiedicalcio.altervista.org was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Riva's most celebrated goals was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Gigi Riva – FIFA Profile". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference president was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ "Addio di Gigi Riva alla nazionale "Lascio perché non ce la faccio più"" (in Italian). L'Unione Sarda. 20 May 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  10. ^ Enrico Gaviano (4 November 2014). "I 70 anni di Gigi Riva, la leggenda che cerca l'oblio" (in Italian). La Repubblica. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
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