Luigi Riva
Encyclopedia
Luigi Riva best known as Gigi Riva or by his nickname Rombo di Tuono (Roar of 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 composure in front of goal, fearsome left foot and aerial ability.
, 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. He made his league debut for Cagliari on September 13, 1964, when the team lost 2-1 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.
|1962-63||Legnano
||Serie C
||22||5||||||||||||||||
|-
|1963-64
||rowspan="13"|Cagliari
||Serie B
||26||8||||||||||||||||
|-
|1964-65
||rowspan="12"|Serie A
||32||9||||||||||||||||
|-
|1965-66
||34||11||||||||||||||||
|-
|1966-67
||23||18||||||||||||||||
|-
|1967-68
||26||13||||||||||||||||
|-
|1968-69
||29||20||||||||||||||||
|-
|1969-70
||28||21||||||||||||||||
|-
|1970-71
||13||8||||||||||||||||
|-
|1971-72
||30||21||||||||||||||||
|-
|1972-73
||26||12||||||||||||||||
|-
|1973-74
||25||15||||||||||||||||
|-
|1974-75
||8||2||||||||||||||||
|-
|1975-76
||15||6||||||||||||||||
337||169||||||||||||||||
337||169||||||||||||||||
Cagliari Calcio
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, the all-time leading scorer for the Italian national team
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
. Considered one of the best forwards of his generation, Riva enjoyed a remarkable scoring record for Cagliari
Cagliari Calcio
Cagliari Calcio is an Italian football club based in Cagliari, Sardinia. The club was formed in 1920 and currently plays in Italian Serie A, having spent a large part of recent years mainly in Serie A and Serie B....
thanks to his composure in front of goal, fearsome left foot and aerial ability.
Career
Riva was born in LeggiunoLeggiuno
Leggiuno is a town and comune in the province of Varese, Lombardy, Italy.It is the birthplace of Gigi Riva, a footballer of Cagliari and Italy. The great Italian operatic tenor Giuseppe Borgatti died there in retirement in 1950.-Main sights:...
, in the province of Varese
Province of Varese
The Province of Varese is a province in the Lombardy region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Varese but its largest city is Busto Arsizio....
, Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
.
His career started in 1962 when he joined Legnano. He was acquired by Cagliari
Cagliari Calcio
Cagliari Calcio is an Italian football club based in Cagliari, Sardinia. The club was formed in 1920 and currently plays in Italian Serie A, having spent a large part of recent years mainly in Serie A and Serie B....
the next season and was to stay there for the rest of his career. He made his league debut for Cagliari on September 13, 1964, when the team lost 2-1 against Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
. He was Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
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
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
. 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
1970 FIFA World Cup
The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from 31 May to 21 June. The 1970 tournament was the first World Cup hosted in North America, and the first held outside South America and Europe. In a match-up of two-time World Cup champions, the final was won by...
in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
the Italian team finished runners up after losing 4-1 to Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
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
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
in the semi-final.
He turned down a move to Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
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
1974 FIFA World Cup
The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 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...
, and he was eventually dropped for the last game against Poland
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in 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
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
who won the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
under his supervision.
More recently, in 2005 Cagliari
Cagliari Calcio
Cagliari Calcio is an Italian football club based in Cagliari, Sardinia. The club was formed in 1920 and currently plays in Italian Serie A, having spent a large part of recent years mainly in Serie A and Serie B....
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 statistics
|-|1962-63||Legnano
A.C. Legnano
Associazione Calcio Legnano was an Italian football club, based in Legnano, Lombardy, that was founded in 1913. The team's colors were lilac and white. In the past Legnano have played three seasons in Italy's top league; Serie A, finishing bottom of the league each time.The club were perhaps best...
||Serie C
Serie C
The Lega Italiana Calcio Professionistico , commonly known as Lega Pro , is the governing body that runs the third and fourth highest football divisions in Italy, the Prima Divisione and Seconda Divisione respectively. It also includes the sole professional club of San Marino...
||22||5||||||||||||||||
|-
|1963-64
Serie B 1963-64
-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:*Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005...
||rowspan="13"|Cagliari
Cagliari Calcio
Cagliari Calcio is an Italian football club based in Cagliari, Sardinia. The club was formed in 1920 and currently plays in Italian Serie A, having spent a large part of recent years mainly in Serie A and Serie B....
||Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
||26||8||||||||||||||||
|-
|1964-65
Serie A 1964-65
-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:*Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005-External links:...
||rowspan="12"|Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
||32||9||||||||||||||||
|-
|1965-66
Serie A 1965-66
-Final classification:-Results:-References:*Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005-External links:* :it:Classifica calcio Serie A italiana 1966 - Italian version with pictures and info....
||34||11||||||||||||||||
|-
|1966-67
Serie A 1966-67
Serie A 1966-67 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; Inter 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...
||23||18||||||||||||||||
|-
|1967-68
Serie A 1967-68
Serie A 1967-68 season was won by A.C. Milan.-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:*Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005-External links:...
||26||13||||||||||||||||
|-
|1968-69
Serie A 1968-69
The 1968/1969 Serie A season was won by A.C. Fiorentina.-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:*Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005-External links:...
||29||20||||||||||||||||
|-
|1969-70
Serie A 1969-70
The 1969/1970 Serie A season was won by Cagliari Calcio.-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:*Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005-External links:...
||28||21||||||||||||||||
|-
|1970-71
Serie A 1970-71
The 1970/1971 Serie A season was won by F.C. Internazionale Milano.-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:*Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005-External links:...
||13||8||||||||||||||||
|-
|1971-72
Serie A 1971-72
The 1971/1972 Serie A season was won by Juventus F.C..-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:*Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005-External links:...
||30||21||||||||||||||||
|-
|1972-73
Serie A 1972-73
The 1972/1973 Serie A season was won by Juventus F.C..-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:*Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005-External links:...
||26||12||||||||||||||||
|-
|1973-74
Serie A 1973-74
The 1973/1974 Serie A season was won by S.S. Lazio.-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:*Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005-External links:...
||25||15||||||||||||||||
|-
|1974-75
Serie A 1974-75
The 1974/1975 Serie A season was won by Juventus F.C..-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:*Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005-External links:...
||8||2||||||||||||||||
|-
|1975-76
Serie A 1975-76
The 1975/1976 Serie A season was won by Torino Calcio.-Classification:-Results:-References and sources:*Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005-External links:...
||15||6||||||||||||||||
337||169||||||||||||||||
337||169||||||||||||||||
Honours
Cagliari CalcioCagliari Calcio
Cagliari Calcio is an Italian football club based in Cagliari, Sardinia. The club was formed in 1920 and currently plays in Italian Serie A, having spent a large part of recent years mainly in Serie A and Serie B....
- Serie ASerie ASerie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
:- 1969-70; Runners-up 1968–69Serie A 1968-69The 1968/1969 Serie A season was won by A.C. Fiorentina.-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:*Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005-External links:...
- 1969-70; Runners-up 1968–69
- Retired numbers in association football Cagliari CalcioCagliari CalcioCagliari Calcio is an Italian football club based in Cagliari, Sardinia. The club was formed in 1920 and currently plays in Italian Serie A, having spent a large part of recent years mainly in Serie A and Serie B....
No.11