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Luigi Riva
 |
|
Personal information |
|
Date of birth |
November 7,
1944 (1944-11-07) (age 65) |
|
Place of birth |
Leggiuno, Italy |
|
Playing position |
Forward |
|
Senior career* |
|
Years |
Team |
Apps† |
(Gls)† |
|
1961–1962 |
Legnano |
22 |
(5) |
|
1962–1976 |
Cagliari |
315 |
(164) |
|
Total |
|
337 |
(169) |
|
National team |
|
1965–1974 |
Italy |
42 |
(35) |
*
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league
only.
† Appearances (Goals).
|
Luigi Riva (born November 7, 1944), best known
as Gigi Riva or by his nickname Rombo di
Tuono (Thunder), is a former Italian footballer, the
all-time leading scorer for the Italian national team.
Considered one of the best forwards of his generation, Riva enjoyed
a remarkable scoring record for Cagliari thanks to his heading and left
foot abilities and composure in front of goal.
Career
Riva was born in Leggiuno, in the province of Varese, Lombardy.
His career started in 1962 when
he joined Legnano. He was acquired by Cagliari the
next season and was to stay there for the rest of his career,
despite the attention of Brentford F.C. He made his league debut
for Cagliari on September 13, 1964, when the team lost 12-1 against
Roma. He was Serie A top-scorer three times
with Cagliari, in 1966/67, in 1968/69 and in 1969/70. His only
Serie A title came in 1970.
He made his international debut on June 27, 1965 in a 2-1 defeat
against Hungary. He would go on
to become Italy's top-goalscorer of all-time, with 35 goals in just
42 matches and would win the 1968 European Championships, in the final
of which he scored. In the 1970 World Cup in Mexico the Italian team finished runners up
after losing 4-1 to Brazil in the final,
before Mexico 70 he had scored 19 goals in 16 matches. He was
Italy's topscorer in the competition and he netted the crucial
extra-time goal - his 22nd in 21 internationals - against Germany in the
semi-final.
He turned down a move to Juventus in 1973 at the age of 29 in order to remain with
Cagliari, but, together with many other members of the Italian
squad, displayed a series of disappointing performances at the 1974 World
Cup, and he was eventually dropped for the last game against Poland.
His career was blighted by major injuries. He broke his left leg
playing for the national side against Portugal shortly before the
1966 World Cup. He broke his right leg, again on international
duty, this time against Austria just after the 1970 World Cup. In
1976, he ruptured a tendon in his
right thigh playing for Cagliari against Milan. He never
successfully recovered and, despite comeback attempts, eventually
retired in 1978. He became an
executive with Cagliari. He is currently a team managing staff
member for the Italian national football team, and was also a
member of the Italian national team who
won the 2006 FIFA World Cup under his
supervision.
More recently, in 2005 Cagliari agreed to retire his No.11
jersey to honour him. Riva's jersey was the first one to be retired
by the Sardinian club, and the only one to date.
Career
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