Doing a 'Leicester', Italian Style

[kushiro]

I really wanted to mark the passing of Gigi Riva on here. He was the star of the Italian World Cup team in 1970, and to a five year old like me at the time his name was like that of a comic book hero.

 

This was his goal in the semi-final - not unlike Gary Lineker's in the semi 20 years later

 

 

That celebration is as iconic as Tardelli 1982 or Grosso 2006 (spot the German connection in every goal mentioned so far).

 

At club level he was even more of a legend - leading Cagliari to their only Serie A title  in 1970. It has been likened to our title win, and although the circumstances were different (they'd finished second the season before),  their rise was in some ways even more spectacular, haviing spent much of the post-war era in Serie C. As we broke the stranglehold of the Big Six, so Cagliari broke the post-war monopoly of the north, and they were the first ever title winners from south of Rome.

 

This was the best of Riva's goals that season:

 

 

The title win meant they entered the European Cup for the first time and after getting past St.Etienne they fell to those eternal dream-killers, Atletico Madrid.

 

A year later, the paths of Cagliari and Leicester City crossed. Both clubs entered the Anglo-Italian Cup:

 

 

On June 1st, we lost 1-0 at the new Stadio Sant'Elia, but Riva wasn't playing. He hadn't recovered from injury. And he was still missing when Cagliari came to Filbert Street six days later when we won 2-1. We were planning to wear our new all-white home kit that night, but the colours clashed so it was unveiled three days later in the game v  Atalanta  when we won 6-0. 

 

So just like Franz Beckenbauer, Gigi Riva never did get to play at Filbert Street.

 

Of course, there is one man who links Leicester and Cagliari, and this was his reaction this week:

 

"It's news that I never wanted to hear," said Ranieri. "It caught me off guard, I'm speechless. Gigi's passing leaves an unfillable void in all of us. Everyone knew Riva the footballer. I also had the privilege of appreciating Riva the person: a man who was serious and loyal like few others. When I came to Cagliari for the first time (as coach) 36 years ago, he was immediately among the people who were closest to me, with his discretion and confidentiality.The bond always remained. When I had the chance to return here, hearing the words 'Claudio is one of us' moved me, made me feel special".

 

Edited 26 January 2024 by kushiro

[kushiro]

I mentioned that our game in Cagliari in 1972 was at the 'new Stadio Sant'Elia'. The year they won the title was their last at the old Stadio Amsicora that you can see below:

 

 

That European Cup game v St.Etienne marked the official opening of the new stadium. When it was chosen as one of the Italia 90 venues, the club moved temporarily back to Amsicora to allow for ground improvements, including the relaying of the pitch. They also added four extra floodlight pylons to give, unusually,  a total of eight:

 

 

But there was a problem. The turf that they imported from Rome was found to be infested by millions of glow worms which turned the pitch into a 'sorry, bumpy mess'. Only the spreading of huge quantities of sand allowed the pitch to be made playable in time for it to stage England's group games in the World Cup.

 

During the England v Ireland game,  of course, something else was liberally smeared all across that turf.

[kushiro]

Here's Weller's goal in that Cagliari game:

 

 

As you can see there was a decent crowd - 16,000+.

 

I hadn't realised that in that 1970 World Cup Final, as well as Riva, there were three other Cagliari players in the Italian team. Keeper Albertosi, defender Cera and midfielder Domenghini. So Cagliari had more players in that game than any other club - ahead of Santos with three.The Santos players had a bigger impact on the game though - Carlos Alberto, Clodoaldo and Pele. 

[Sionnach gorm]

He was a real hero, and outstanding person and one of the great footballers of his time!

[fuchsntf]

On 26/01/2024 at 05:41, kushiro said:

I really wanted to mark the passing of Gigi Riva on here. He was the star of the Italian World Cup team in 1970, and to a five year old like me at the time his name was like that of a comic book hero.

 

This was his goal in the semi-final - not unlike Gary Lineker's in the semi 20 years later

 

 

That celebration is as iconic as Tardelli 1982 or Grosso 2006 (spot the German connection in every goal mentioned so far).

 

At club level he was even more of a legend - leading Cagliari to their only Serie A title  in 1970. It has been likened to our title win, and although the circumstances were different (they'd finished second the season before),  their rise was in some ways even more spectacular, haviing spent much of the post-war era in Serie C. As we broke the stranglehold of the Big Six, so Cagliari broke the post-war monopoly of the north, and they were the first ever title winners from south of Rome.

 

This was the best of Riva's goals that season:

 

 

The title win meant they entered the European Cup for the first time and after getting past St.Etienne they fell to those eternal dream-killers, Atletico Madrid.

 

A year later, the paths of Cagliari and Leicester City crossed. Both clubs entered the Anglo-Italian Cup:

 

 

On June 1st, we lost 1-0 at the new Stadio Sant'Elia, but Riva wasn't playing. He hadn't recovered from injury. And he was still missing when Cagliari came to Filbert Street six days later when we won 2-1. We were planning to wear our new all-white home kit that night, but the colours clashed so it was unveiled three days later in the game v  Atalanta  when we won 6-0. 

 

So just like Franz Beckenbauer, Gigi Riva never did get to play at Filbert Street.

 

Of course, there is one man who links Leicester and Cagliari, and this was his reaction this week:

 

"It's news that I never wanted to hear," said Ranieri. "It caught me off guard, I'm speechless. Gigi's passing leaves an unfillable void in all of us. Everyone knew Riva the footballer. I also had the privilege of appreciating Riva the person: a man who was serious and loyal like few others. When I came to Cagliari for the first time (as coach) 36 years ago, he was immediately among the people who were closest to me, with his discretion and confidentiality.The bond always remained. When I had the chance to return here, hearing the words 'Claudio is one of us' moved me, made me feel special".

 

I just have to say Riva, was one of my International football heroes, belongs up there with all those now  past away great  "60s" legends. 

I my in young days, English TV- saturday sport, on a wet afternoon, Cinema Pathe-News sport reels, other Cinema reels of sporting moments often 2nd feature to a classic or Epic first feature.. Tarzan, Hercules, Roman/Greek sandal films, making Gordon Scott famous.. and introducing many crazy Sport fanatical kids to their sporting only before seen heroes, in comic, magazine features or cigarettes - cards..or Radio.

 

Riva, Yashin etc,, Even

Puskas, Di- Stefano  8yrs,earlier the whole of them known by English Urchins or well to do friends alike, well before internet, 

 

A time of great European/English sport writers or radio commentators.. Not cheap-short journalism or media, serious reports & banter.... A time of innocence, but even kids shared to feel and understand also the Papparazi sneeking around foreign clubs and Players.. Then maybe the Anglo-Italian cup was 10 years too late in it's making.. 

 

 

Edited 27 January 2024 by fuchsntf